News

Handbook on access to justice and legal aid: length of judicial procedures in focus

22-06-2012

Representatives of Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia, and one expert from Belgium took part in the 2nd meeting of the working group on 'Access to Justice and Legal Aid' of the EU-funded EuroMed Justice III Project. The group is working on a handbook on possible approaches and best practices to improve access to justice and legal aid. The meeting was held on 12-14 June in Marseille.
 
The meeting gave participants the opportunity to continue the debate and the overall approach to the handbook, to finalise discussion and agreements on good practices in the field of legal aid started during the first meeting and to start discussion on approaches and best practices related to the length of procedures, delays and timeframe for judicial proceedings, as well as to reach additional agreements on the contents of the handbook that will be produced by the working group at the end of its five meetings in April 2013.
 
Participants also heard a presentation on 'Quality management in courts: the importance of timeliness', by Jean-Marie Siscot, Secretary General of the High Council of Justice in Belgium, which focused on how to manage timeliness in the courts and the prosecution service.
 
The next meeting of this working group, to take place in November, will focus on: reduction of workload, simplification of the procedures, oral proceedings, cooperation between judges and Bars to cope with the length of procedure, and alternative dispute resolution.
 
Euromed Justice III, funded by the EU with a budget of €5 million over the period from 2011 to 2014, aims to support the development of the Mediterranean partners' institutional and administrative capacity and good governance in the field of justice, including the modernisation of justice systems, the simplification of judicial proceedings and improved access to justice. (EU Neighbourhood Info)
 
Read more
 
Meeting conclusions
 
Euromed Justice III – fiche and news
 
Euromed Justice III - website
 
 


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