Minister Malenica: Change is key to strengthening citizens’ trust in judiciary

Organised by the East-West Management Institute in Geneva and the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration, with support from a U.S. Department of State programme, the conference “Judiciary Closer to Citizens — Effectiveness and Strengthening of the Rule of Law” is taking place in Šibenik, Croatia, on 2-3 February.

The conference is held within the framework of the Croatia Court Excellence Program (CCEP), funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the U.S. Department of State.

It is a project that aims to provide stronger support for the efficiency of the work of courts, to enhance the transparency of the Croatian judiciary, to support the professional training of judicial officials and civil servants, and to support Croatian courts in the use of technologies.

In his opening speech, Minister Malenica pointed out that this project is part of the development changes that the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration has been working on, thanking the partners for concrete support, assistance and cooperation in improving the effectiveness of the judiciary in Croatia.

“In recent years, great strides have been made in the judicial system — in areas of legislation, organisation and development. Significant developments have been made in terms of the effectiveness of the judiciary, digitalisation and infrastructural investments. However, the essential persistent challenges in the judiciary are the backlog of cases, the length of court proceedings and human resources in the Croatian courts. These are the issues we need to address through joint efforts”, the Minister said, adding the desire to resolve these issues in a comprehensive and long-term manner.

Speaking about the effectiveness of the judiciary, he stressed that the results of the work of courts in 2022 indicate that the action plans developed by the Ministry are useful tools for both court presidents and the Ministry itself.

“This conference is an opportunity to look at processes as they really are — with problems, challenges and prospects. There will always be things to do faster, higher or better, which is why cooperation and understanding are required”, the Minister emphasized.

Ameet Kabrawala, Regional Resident Legal Advisor of the U.S. Department of Justice, voiced the USA’s support for such programmes because they bring change. He stressed that they see Croatia as a leader in the fight against organised crime, money laundering, anti-corruption and cybercrime, and that projects such as this one contribute to strengthening the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.

Nicolas Mansfield, Vice-President of the East West Management Institute, said that the aim of the Institute was to support projects which strengthen the justice system, because an independent and strong judiciary contributes not only to economic, but also to social development.
 

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