Regional expert exchange of the Constitutional Courts and Supreme Courts of Kosovo and Albania on the topic "The balance between legality and constitutionality control", December 14, 2023 in Pristina (Kosovo). Kosovo and Albania
The regional exchange between the Constitutional Courts and Supreme Courts of Kosovo and Albania on the balance between legality and constitutionality control took place for the second consecutive time on 14 December 2023. Approximately 80 judges and legal advisors from the four courts participated in the conference held in Pristina (Kosovo).
In her keynote address, Professor Dr Gabriele Britz, former judge at the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany and Professor of Public Law and European Law at Justus Liebig University in Giessen, presented the German approach to balancing legality and constitutional control at the invitation of IRZ. During two panel discussions, the participants delved into selected legal questions, discussed ongoing developments in their case law, and deliberated on the associated challenges.
The cross-border exchange of experiences facilitated dynamic discussions and fostered an environment of mutual trust. The insights from German practice enriched the in-depth analysis of the legal framework, the prevailing case law across the four courts and the examination of established best practices.
Seminar on “Internal and external communication of judicial authorities – the use of social media”, 24-25 October 2023 in Pristina (Kosovo). Kosovo
The IRZ has been supporting the Kosovo Public Prosecutor's Council (KPC) for several years to address topics around internal and external communication. The press spokespersons of the Kosovo courts have also been actively participating in this exchange since December 2022. Against this backdrop, two workshops on the topic of internal and external communication of judicial authorities were held in Pristina, Kosovo, in October and November 2023.
The aim of these workshops was to strengthen judicial transparency in Kosovo by improving the professionalism and the promotion of active press and public relations work by judicial authorities and thus further strengthen the population's trust in the judiciary In addition, the aim is to extend internal communication and institutional cooperation between the judicial authorities.
The use of social media by judicial authorities
Press spokespersons from the Kosovo Public Prosecutor's Council, Kosovar Public Prosecutors’ Offices and courts discussed the use of social media by judicial authorities during an event held on 24-25 October 2023.
The seminar was led by Ms. Brigitte Koppenhöfer, former Presiding Judge at the Düsseldorf Regional Court, and Ms. Katrin Latki-Baier, PR and communications consultant.
In addition to the fundamental aspects regarding aims, strategies, formats and content, the speakers also discussed the common challenges and dangers associated with the use of social media by public prosecutors and courts. In particular, they addressed how to deal with “fake news” and disinformation on social media, and discussed the civil and criminal aspects of the use of social media with participants and the question of how new technologies and AI will influence press and public relations work of judicial authorities in future.
The event primarily offered participants the opportunity to discuss various topics, exchange experiences and to consolidate what they had learned using numerous examples and practical exercises.
Justice crisis communication
The press spokespersons of Kosovo's courts met again during the following week, on 1-2 November 2023, as part of a workshop on the topic of crisis communication in the judiciary. A tailor-made crisis communication concept was developed during the workshop under the guidance of Ms. Koppenhöfer and Ms. Latki-Baier using the example of a hacker attack on the IT structure of a court.
The joint exchange of expert knowledge and experiences was intensified during the week 13-17 November 2023 as part of a study trip on press and public relations issues in Düsseldorf and Wuppertal. The 10-member delegation took part in media training in addition to expert talks at the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Düsseldorf Local Court, the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Justice and the State Office of Criminal Investigations.
The 12th Steering Committee Meeting of the EU project EUKOJUST was held on 30 October 2023 in Pristina (Kosovo). The IRZ has been conducting this project for over three years in collaboration with the Dutch partner organisation, CILC, and the Croatian Ministry of Justice and Administration.
The meeting was opened by, among others, the Minister of Justice of Kosovo, Ms. Albulena Haxhiu, the Ambassador of Germany, Mr. Jörn Rohde, and the Ambassador of Croatia, Danijela Barisic. The Minister highlighted the important role of the project in the country's ongoing judicial reform and stressed the relevance and usefulness of the work results arising from the project for the institutions, both in terms of numerous legal reforms and the restructuring of the Ministry of Justice or in the area of “access to the judiciary for all population groups”. This appreciation was seconded by the Presidents of the Councils (Judicial Council and Public Prosecutor's Council of Kosovo), Albert Zogaj and Jetish Maloku, and Enver Fejzullahu, Director of the Judicial Academy.
In addition, all the stakeholders renewed their wish to extend the project beyond January 2024, when the project is scheduled to end. We are currently coordinating a cost-neutral extension of the project by a few months with the EU office in Kosovo. A further extension up to the end 2024 is also under discussion, but cannot currently take place because, due to the stalled political dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, measures by the European Union against Kosovo prevent the release of further funds.
The diversity of the EU project's project activities was illustrated by the other items on the agenda this week along with the SCM:
2-day workshop for the staff of the Legal Department of the Prime Minister's Office to finalise the reformed internal regulations on legal harmonisation
Working group meeting to draft a new law on administrative court jurisdiction
The award of completion certificates to employees of the Ministry of Justice (including the departments for Legislation and EU Integration) for their successful participation in English legal terminology courses at two difficulty levels.
The IRZ, its partners and the project beneficiaries are continuing to work on options to extend the project to ensure it is not terminated in this important phase.
