Strasbourg, 22 January 2007

CEPEJ(2007)1

1.         Tasks

The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice decides to act as a Centre for judicial time management (SATURN[1] Centre) aimed at collecting specific information necessary to the knowledge of judicial timeframes in the member States and detailed enough to enable member states to implement policies aiming to prevent violations of the right to fair trial within a reasonable time protected by Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Centre shall in particular:

a.     analyse the situation of existing timeframes in the member States (timeframes per types of cases, waiting times in the proceedings, etc.);

b.    provide to the member States knowledge and analytical tools of judicial timeframes of proceedings;

c.     provide guidelines with a view to possible reforms aiming to foresee the judicial timeframes.

The Centre is managed through a Groupe de Pilotage, under the authority of the CEPEJ.

In order to fulfil its tasks, the Groupe de pilotage shall in particular:

·         analyse available information, especially the report of the CEPEJ on the “European judicial systems – Edition 2006”, the reports on “judicial timeframes of proceedings in the case law of the ECHR”, the report on “time management in Nordic Courts” and the report “management of time: good practice;

·         collect necessary information on judicial timeframes of proceeding in the member States;

·         define measuring systems and common indicators on judicial timeframes of proceedings in all member States and define appropriate modalities for collecting information through statistical analysis;

·         rely on appropriate networks allowing the integration of the works and reflections of the judicial community, in particular on the network of pilot courts within the member States, to exploit innovative projects aimed at reducing and adjusting the timeframes operated by courts in member States. 

2.         Composition

The Groupe de Pilotage shall be composed of 6 members of the CEPEJ or experts proposed by member states and appointed by the CEPEJ Bureau who have an in-depth knowledge in the field of procedure timeframes. Their travel and subsistence expenses will be borne by the budget of the Council of Europe. Other experts appointed by the member States might participate in its work, at their own expenses.

The relevant Council of Europe and European Union bodies might be represented to the Groupe de pilotage without the right to vote or defrayal expenses.

The non governmental organisations granted with the observer status to the CEPEJ might be invited by the Bureau to participate in the work of the Groupe de Pilotage, on a case-by-case basis, if the Bureau considers their attendance relevant for the quality of the work.

3.         Working structures and methods

The Centre will held 2 meetings in 2007.

In carrying out its terms of reference, the Groupe de Pilotage shall cooperate with the CEPEJ Network of Pilot courts.

It may also seek the advice of external experts and have recourse to studies by consultants.

4.         Duration

These terms of reference expire on 31 December 2008.