Strasbourg, 28 May 2010

CEPEJ-GT-EVAL(2010)4

EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR THE EFFICIENCY OF JUSTICE

(CEPEJ)

WORKING GROUP ON THE EVALUATION OF JUDICIAL SYSTEMS

(CEPEJ-GT-EVAL)

15th meeting, 5 – 7 May 2010

and

MEETING OF THE NETWORK OF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS

5 May 2010

MEETING REPORT

Report prepared by the Secretariat

Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs


1.    The Working Group of the Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ-GT-EVAL) held its 15th meeting on 5 – 7 May 2010 at the Council of Europe, with Mr Jean-Paul JEAN (France) in the chair. On 5 May, the CEPEJ-GT-EVAL met with the Network of national correspondents.

2.    The agendas and lists of participants are appended to this report.

  1. Preparation of the draft evaluation report with the national correspondents

Validation of data

3.    The scientific expert, Natalia DELGRANDE, explained how she had checked and processed the data from the electronic questionnaire. A specific effort of validation has been committed to ensure the coherence and accountability of data and allow to compose and analyse, for the first time within this process, a few statistical series. These series are designed to measure evolutions, if at all possible between 2004 and 2008, and, more often, between 2006 and 2008, depending on the homogeneity of the data available. Through these comparisons, methodological problems have been identified and corrected. Before any steps could be taken to validate data, it has been necessary to re-build the intervention framework for the three evaluation cycles (2004, 2006 and 2008 data). To do so, a data base has been set up, which brings together all information available from the first to the last cycle.

4.    All data (some 2 million entries, without counting comments) have been submitted to the validation procedure. The methodology chosen, which is specially adapted for this exercise is the "method of time-series mapping on three levels”. This methodology brings together three validation procedures for quantitative data. First of all, significant differences (of more than 20%) between the entries for the same item and for the three exercises have been identified. In order to guarantee the validity of this procedure, data have also been examined according to the Grubbs' test. This has enabled to isolate the true "outliers" (extreme values which, in addition to being different from previous entries, [differences of more than 20%] were difficult to be compared with, or were not comparable at all with the entries for the year 2008 for the other states). If some values presenting differences of more than 20% from one year to another one could be explained by the national correspondents, all other "outliers" have been corrected, without exception. The third validating element through the "time-series mapping on three levels” is the check of the internal validity. This procedure has mainly been applied to complex items, namely those made of several entries. Among the variables submitted to this procedure appear budgetary items and the cases addressed by the courts. For this purpose, a specific validation scheme has been set up by the scientific expert. The elements which are part of the complex variables have been horizontally verified (correspondence between the sum of the elements with the entry corresponding to the total) and sometimes also vertically verified (inclusion or exclusion of the elements within the total).

Discussion on the data forwarded by the national correspondents

5.    The GT-EVAL experts, the scientific experts and the national correspondents discussed the issues regarding the main questions of the Scheme, to ensure that these questions have all been interpreted in the same way. The scientific expert presented some draft tables and figures, to show how data have been processed and analysed. National correspondents were invited, where appropriate, to complete and amend the data before 15 May 2010.

6.    National correspondents were asked to pay more attention in future to the explanatory memorandum to the evaluation grid, which gave precise definitions of the terms used, to ensure that replies were as homogeneous as possible.

Conclusions from the discussion with the national correspondents

7.    The CEPEJ-GT EVAL gave instructions to the scientific experts and the Secretariat in order to take into account the discussion with the national correspondents in the draft report.

8.    The draft report would be forwarded to the experts of the GT-EVAL chapter by chapter, as soon as they are ready, for further comments. The chapters would then be posted on the CEPEJ's restricted web site so that the CEPEJ's members and national correspondents can have access to them and forward possible comments to the Secretariat.

4.   Further exploitation of data

9.    The CEPEJ-GT-EVAL had an exchange of views with Ludivine ROUSSEY, Researcher (University Paris Ouest – Nanterre) who was working on the exploitation of the CEPEJ's data in the field of economy of law, under the authority of Professor Bruno DEFFAINS. The GT-EVAL agreed that the researchers could use the CEPEJ's materials and continue to follow the evaluation process, including in participating as observers in the working meetings.

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  1. Implementation of the pilot peer evaluation cooperation process

10.  The experts who participated in the peer evaluation visit to Denmark reported on the visit. The Secretariat was entrusted to finalise a report to be forwarded to the 16th plenary meeting of the CEPEJ.


Appendix I

GT-EVAL

AGENDA / ORDRE DU JOUR

1.             Adoption of the agenda / Adoption de l’ordre du jour

2.             Information by the Secretariat / Information du Secrétariat

3.         Preparation of the draft Evaluation report/ Préparation du projet de rapport d'évaluation

§    Conclusions to be drawn from the meeting with national correspondents /

Conclusions à tirer de la réunion avec les correspondants nationaux

§    Contents of the report / Contenu du rapport

-       Methodological indications to be developed / Indications méthodologiques à développer

-       Statistical series / Séries statistiques

-       Budget issues / Questions relatives aux budgets

-       Judicial and non judicial staff issues / Questions relatives au personnel judiciaire et non judiciaire

-       Case flow management issues and relevant indicators / Questions relatives à la gestion des flux d'affaires et indicateurs pertinents

-       Lengths of proceedings issues – links with the SATURN Centre /

Questions relatives à la durée des procédures – Lien avec le Centre SATURN

§    Working method for completing the draft report / Méthode de travail pour finaliser le projet de rapport

4.         Further exploitation of data / Autre exploitation des données

§    Exchange of views with Ludivine Roussey, Researcher / Echange de vues Ludivine Roussey, Chercheur

§    Study by MEDEL on single judge and panels of judges / Etude de MEDEL sur "Juge unique et collégialité"

)

5.         Implementation of the pilot peer evaluation cooperation process /

Mise en œuvre du processus de coopération à travers une évaluation par les pairs

6.         Cooperation with the European Union / Coopération avec l'Union européenne

7.         Any other business / Questions diverses


4th Meeting of the Network of National correspondents

4ème Réunion du Réseau des Correspondants nationaux

AGENDA / ORDRE DU JOUR

1.     Adoption of the agenda / Adoption de l’ordre du jour

2.     Information by the Secretariat / Information du Secrétariat

3.     Presentation of the working principles of the CEPEJ-GT-EVAL by Jean-Paul JEAN, Chair of the CEPEJ-GT-EVAL /

Présentation des principes d'action du CEPEJ-GT-EVAL par Jean-Paul JEAN, Président du CEPEJ-GT-EVAL

4.     Assessment of the implementation of the GOJUST Guidelines by national correspondents /

Evaluation de la mise en oeuvre des Lignes Directrices GOJUST par les correspondants nationaux

5.     Pre-draft "Report of European judicial systems – Edition 2010" /

Avant-projet de "Rapport sur les systèmes judiciaires européens – Edition 2010"

§  General presentation by Natalia DELGRANDE, scientific expert: quality of data, data processing, statistical series /

Présentation générale par Natalia DELGRANDE, expert scientifique: qualité des données, traitement des données, séries statistiques

§  Discussion chapter by chapter with the national correspondents, with a specific focus on budgetary issues, judicial and non judicial staff, case flow management, lengths of proceedings,  / 

Discussion chapitre par chapitre avec les correspondants nationaux avec une attention spécifique portée aux questions relatives aux budgets, personnels judiciaires et non juges, à la gestion des flux d'affaires, aux durées des procédures

6.     Communication strategy for the Report / Stratégie de communication du Rapport


 

Appendix III

4th Meeting of the network of National correspondents

4ème Réunion du Réseau des Correspondants nationaux

List of participants / Liste des participants

ALBANIA/ALBANIE

Rovena HUSA, Head of the Judicial Archives Unit, Ministry of Justice, TIRANA,

ANDORRA/ANDORRE

Carme OBIOLS, Secrétaire Générale, Conseil supérieur de la Justice, C/Prat de la Creu 8, ANDORRE LA VIEILLE - Apologised / Excusée

ARMENIA/ARMENIE  

Armen SANOYAN, Chief Specialist, Department of international Legal Affairs, Ministry of Justice, YEREVAN

AUSTRIA/AUTRICHE

Georg STAWA, Public Prosecutor, Directorate for Central Administration and Coordination (Dept. PR1), Federal Ministry of JusticeVIENNA

AZERBAIJAN/AZERBAIDJAN

Ramin GURBANOV, Chief of reforms division, General department of organization and supervision
Coordinator of Judicial Modernization Project, Ministry of Justice, BAKU

 

BELGIUM/BELGIQUE 

Dietger Geeraert, Attaché Service Juridique, Direction Générale de l'Organisation Judiciaire, SPF Justice, Bruxelles

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA/BOSNIE-HERZEGOVINE

Rusmir Šabeta, Head of the Judicial Administration Department, The Secretariat of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial,  Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, SARAJEVO

BULGARIA/BULGARIE

Sabina HRISTOVA, President of the District Court of Burgas and Bulgarian representative in the Network of Pilot-courts, BURGAS

CROATIA/CROATIE

Jelena SIMINIATI, Head of the Section for coordination of legislation alignment, Division for EU, Directorate for EU and human rights, Ministry of Justice, ZAGREB

CYPRUS/CHYPRE

Natasa PAPANICOLAOU, Legal Assistant, Supreme Court, NICOSIA;

CZECH REPUBLIC/REPUBLIQUE TCHEQUE

Ivana BORZOVÁ, Head of Department of Civil Supervision, Ministry of Justice, PRAGUE

DENMARK/DANEMARK

Klaus Rugaard, Chief Adviser, Documentation and analyses, Danish Court AdministrationCOPENHAGEN - Apologised / Excusé

ESTONIA/ESTONIE

Kadri ROOS, Advisor, Judicial Administration Policy Department, Ministry of Justice, TALLINN

FINLAND/FINLANDE

Piritta Koivukoski, Ylitarkastaja, Talous- ja henkilöstöhallintoyksikkö, VALTIONEUVOSTO

FRANCE

Olivia DIEGO, Adjointe au Chef de bureau de l'expertise et des questions institutionnelles, SG/SAEI, Ministère de la justice et des libertés, PARIS

Odile TIMBART, Adjointe fonctionnelle auprès du Sous-Directeur de la Statistique et des Etudes du Secrétariat Général, Ministère de la justice et des libertés, PARIS

GEORGIA/GEORGIE  

Lasha Kalandadze, Deputy Chairman of the Tbilisi Appeals Court, TBILISI - Apologised / Excusé

GREECE/GRECE

Maria ARVANITI, Head of International Organisation’s Dept., Ministry of Justice, ATHENS,

HUNGARY/HONGRIE

Gabor SZEPLAKI-NAGY, Conseiller référendaire, Cour suprême, Directeur de Cabinet de la Présidence, BUDAPEST

 
ICELAND/ISLANDE

Guðrún Edda Guðmundsdóttir, Legal Expert, Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, REYKJAVIK - Apologised / Excusée

IRELAND/IRLANDE

Ann LAWLER, Courts Policy Division, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, DUBLIN - Apologised / Excusée

ITALY/ITALIE

Luigi CIPOLLINI, Statisticien, Ministère de la Justice, ROME

  

LATVIA/LETTONIE 

Lasma SAURINA, Project manager, Department of Courts and Land Registers, Court Administration, RIGA

LITHUANIA/LITUANIE

Donatas Kiauzaris, Senior Specialist of the Division of Informatics and Statistics, National Court Administration, VILNIUS

LUXEMBOURG 

Laurent THYES, Attaché de Gouvernement  Ministère de la justiceLUXEMBOURG-KIRCHBERG

MALTA/MALTE

Francesco DEPASQUALE, Ministry representative, Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs,VALLETTA

MOLDOVA

Lilia GRIMALSCHI,  Chef Adjointe à la Direction, Agent Gouvernemental, Direction des Relations Internationales et de l’Intégration européenne, Ministry of Justice, CHISINAU - Apologised /Excusée

MONACO 

Jean Antoine CURRAU, Assistant référendaire près de la Cour d’Appel, Direction des Services judiciaires, MONACO 

MONTENEGRO/MONTÉNÉGRO

Lidija MASANOVIC, Councillor, Ministry of Justice, Podgorica

NETHERLANDS/PAYS‑BAS

Sandra KALIDIEN, Researcher, Research and Documentation Centre, Statistical Data and Policy Analysis Division (SIBa), THE HAGUE

NORWAY/NORVEGE

Audun BERG, Senior adviser, The National Courts Administration, TRONDHEIM

POLAND/POLOGNE : Apologised / Excusée

PORTUGAL

João ARSENIO DE OLIVEIRA, Judicial Counselor, Directorate General for Justice Policy, Ministry of  Justice, LISBON

ROMANIA/ROUMANIE 

Constantin MICU, Public Prosecutor and head of Directorate for Human Resources, Counselor of European Affairs, Superior Council of Magistracy, Directorate for European Affairs, International Relations and Programmes, BUCHAREST

RUSSIAN FEDERATION/FEDERATION DE RUSSIE

Tatiana KOBOZEVA, Deputy Head of the Division of Judicial statistics of the Judicial Department, Supreme Court,  MOSCOW

SERBIA

Milica VLASIC KOTUROVIC, Ministry of Justice, Section for Judiciary, Division for human resources, BELGRADE - Apologised / Excusée

SLOVAK REPUBLIC/REPUBLIQUE SLOVAQUE

Ladislav DUDITS, Judge, Kosice Regional Court, Director General of the Civil Law Division, Ministry of Justice, KOSICE

SLOVENIA/SLOVENIE 

JašaVRABEC, Senior Judicial Adviser, President's Office, Supreme Court, LJUBLJANA

SPAIN/ESPAGNE

Elsa García-Maltrás, Fiscal Asesor, DG Cooperación Jurídica Internacional, Ministerio de Justicia, MADRID

Ildefonso Villán Criado, Head of the Statistic Division of the Spanish General Council for the Judiciary, MADRID

SWEDEN/SUEDE

Claes Tidanå, National Courts Administration, Jönköping

SWITZERLAND/SUISSE

Isabel ZODER, Office Fédéral de la statistique , Section criminalité et droit pénal, NEUCHÂTEL - Apologised / Excusée

Jacques BÜHLER, Secrétaire Général suppléant, Tribunal fédéral suisse, LAUSANNE

"THE FORMER YOUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA"/"L'EX-REPUBLIQUE YOUGOSLAVE DE MACEDOINE"  

Nikola PROKOPENKO, Head of Department of Courts,Public Prosecutors and other Judicial institutions, Ministry of Justice, SKOPJE

TURKEY/TURQUIE

Mustafa DÖNEN, Judge, Ministry of Justice, International Law and Foreign Relations Department, ANKARA,

UNITED KINGDOM/ROYAUME‑UNI

Debra ANTHONY, European and International Division, Ministry of Justice, LONDON

Munira DOSSAJI, Principal Operational Research Analyst, Strategy and Innovation Team, International Directorate, Ministry of Justice,  LONDON

John STACEY, Head of International Development for Court Administration, Ministry of Justice, International Directorate, LONDON (Vice-Chair of the CEPEJ / Vice-Président de la CEPEJ)

Angela WORTH, EU and International Law, Civil Law Division, Constitution, Law and Courts Directorate, DG Justice and Communities, Scottish Government, Edinburgh, SCOTLAND - Apologised / Excusée

Experts of the GT-EVAL / Experts du GT-EVAL 

Elsa GARCIA-MALTRAS DE BLAS, Public Prosecutor, Legal Advisor, Ministry of Justice, DG International Legal Cooperation, MADRID, SPAIN (Member of the CEPEJ-Bureau / Membre du Bureau de la CEPEJ)

Beata Z. GRUSZCZYŃSKA, Institute of Justice, Ministry of Justice, WARSAW, POLAND

Adis HODZIC, Head of the Budget and Statistics Department, Secretariat High Judicial and Prosecutiorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, SARAJEVO, BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA -  Apologised / Excusé

Jean-Paul JEAN, Avocat général près la Cour d’Appel de Paris, Professeur associé à l’Université de Poitiers, PARIS, FRANCE (Chair of the GT-EVAL / Président du GT-EVAL)

Georg STAWA, Public Prosecutor, Directorate for Central Administration and Coordination, Federal Ministry of Justice, VIENNA, AUSTRIA (Member of the CEPEJ-Bureau / Membre du Bureau de la CEPEJ)

Frans van der DOELEN, Programme Manager of the Department of the Justice System, Ministry of Justice, THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS

OTHER EXPERTS /  AUTRES EXPERTS

Ludivine ROUSSEY, Doctorante en économie, Université de Paris Ouest - Nanterre La Défense, NANTERRE, France

Scientific expert / Expert scientifique

Natalia DELGRANDE, Scientific expert / expert scienrtifique, ICDP/ESC, UNIL-Sorge, LAUSANNE

Observers / Observateurs

Council of EuroPEAN Union / Conseil de l’Union europeenne

Luca DE MATTEIS, Secrétariat Général du Conseil de l’Union européenne, BRUXELLES -  Apologised / Excusé

SECRETARIAT

Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs - Justice Division

Direction générale des droits de l’Homme et des affaires juridiques - Divison de la Justice

Fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 37 43 - E-mail: [email protected]

Stéphane LEYENBERGER, Secretary of the CEPEJ / Secrétaire de la CEPEJ, Tel : +33 3 88 41 34 12, e-mail: [email protected]

Muriel DECOT, Co-Secretary of the CEPEJ / Co-secrétaire de la CEPEJ, Tél: +33 3 90 21 44 55, e-mail : [email protected]

Barbara SCHERER, Special Advisor to the Secretariat of the CEPEJ/ Conseiller spécial auprès du Secrétariat de la CEPEJ, : +33 3 90 21 53 57, e-mail : [email protected]

Christel SCHURRER, Co-Secretary of the CCJE and CCPE / Co-Secrétaire du CCJE et CCPE, Tél: + 33 (0)3 90 21 56 12, e-mail : [email protected]

Jean-Pierre GEILLER, Documentation, Tel : +33 3 88 41 22 27, e-mail : [email protected]

Annette SATTEL, Communication, Tél: +33 3 88 41 39 04, e-mail: [email protected]

Elisabeth HEURTEBISE, Assistante, Tel : +33 3 88 41 35 54, Fax : +33 3 88 41 37 45, e-mail: [email protected]

TRAINEE / STAGIAIRE

Pauline KEHREN

Kelly SIPP

INTERPRETERS / INTERPRETES

Katia DI STEFANO

Nicolas GUITTONNEAU