Digitalization will provide better access to justice and greater transparency of the judiciary

The digitalization of the judiciary and the public prosecutor’s office saves time in the implementation of proceedings, facilitates the electronic movement of documents through courts, prosecutors’ offices and other institutions that carry out criminal prosecution and will improve the overall connection of these institutions. Digitalization will prevent the abuse of the rights of the participants in the court proceedings like delaying the proceedings, by digitizing the documents. At the same time, digitalization will provide better access to justice for citizens and increased transparency of the judiciary.

These were the conclusions of the first day of the three-day series of events “Digital Judiciary – a new era of reforms in the Macedonian judicial system”, organized by the European Policy Institute (EPI) together with the Ministry of Justice, the Judicial Council and the Council for Coordination of Information communication technology in the judiciary (ICT Council).

The introductory speeches were given by the Director of EPI, Simonida Kacarska, the Minister of Justice, Bojan Marichikj, the Vice President of the Judicial Council, Miljazim Mustafa, the Cabinet Coordination Officer of Prime Minister, Ana Malceva-Marinkovenva and the President of of the ICT Council, Judge Lazar Nanev.

The digitalization plan and the status of its implementation were presented by Judge Lazar Nanev, Professor of Criminal Procedure Law and member of the ICT Council Gordana Lazetic, Public Prosecutor Fatime Fetai and Vasko Kronevski, ICT expert.

The first courts that will be digitalized according to the plan are the courts in Stip, Kavadarci and Strumica. Digitalization is supported by the OSCE, the United States and the Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade.

The events are held online and in the Hotel “Panoramic Design and Spa”. The purpose of the events is to acquaint the professional field and the public with the composition, competencies, and activities that the ICT Council plans and implements with the partners. Additionally, the events present the technical possibilities offered by the National Platform for Interoperability, which will enable easier acceptance of the technical possibilities, enrichment of the knowledge for its security, way of connection, communication and exchange of information and documents, etc. The events are attended by judges, court presidents and court officials from all over the country, the Ministry of Justice, the Judicial Council, the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors, the Ministry of Information Society and Administration and other state administration bodies, lawyers and civil society representatives.

The event is implemented within the project “Partnership Justitia: Restoring Citizens’ Trust”, funded by the European Union through the Sector for Central Financing and Contracting, Ministry of Finance – Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II) 2014. implemented by the European Policy Institute – Skopje and the Association ZENITH. The Association of Judges is a collaborator of this project.