Project Fiche
Support to reform of courts
The CARDS 2003 twinning project with the Austrian Ministry of Justice started in June 2006, with the aim to support the reform of the Croatian Judiciary. The project objective was to enhance the operation and functioning of the courts as a whole and some pre-selected courts in particular. As Rationalisation of the Court network constitutes an important benchmark for Negotiation Chapter 23, a plan for merger of courts has been designed within the project.
Legal security, equality before the law, independence, transparency and accountability of the Courts are fundamental values for a democratic society. A more efficient Court system is essential for both the citizens and the businesses.
In its 2005 Strategy for the reform of the Justice system, Croatia acknowledged the necessity to reform its court network and judicial procedure.
In order to improve handling of cases and to reduce backlog, an efficient case management system for courts was needed. The project finalised software tools, trainings and an implementation Action Plan to collect and review data. Standardized forms for court documents have been developed for better harmonisation in Croatian legal practices.
Finally, the Project supported the computerisation of courts. Data entry and data transfer have been facilitated.