The World Bank and The Hague Institute for Global Justice hosted the second annual meeting of the Justice Peer-Assisted Learning (JUSTPAL) Network, a cooperative peer-based learning and knowledge-sharing resource on justice issues for all countries in Europe and Central Asia (ECA). In April 2011, the EPLO had organized for the World Bank the Launch Conference of the Network and its cooperative platform.
Policymakers, leaders and representatives of the justice sector from 27 countries and several international organizations met in The Hague, the Netherlands, on 7-12 June, to share best practices and exchange country experiences on aspects concerning budgeting and improved efficiency in the justice sector, and ways to improve performance in court management and administration.
"A well-functioning justice system is critical for governance, growth and poverty alleviation. It can only be achieved in the presence of the right balance between judiciary independence and accountability: accountability to the users of justice services and to a functioning integrity system that in turn strengthens independence," said Leonard McCarthy, World Bank Vice President for Integrity. "By bringing together representatives from the judiciary, the prosecution, the executive and legislative branches of power, JUSTPAL provides an excellent knowledge platform to inform judiciary modernization efforts across Europe and Central Asia."
The meetings of the JUSTPAL Communities of Practice on Budgeting and Court Management and Administration focused on performance and efficient use of resources in the justice sector. It examined country experiences in resource allocation with a focus on results and linking budgets to programs. Court performance and the experience of various ECA countries in addressing the challenges of ensuring high quality justice services in a tight budgetary environment highlighted the need for well-defined performance indicators and innovative solutions to justice service provision.
"Judiciary and the rule of law are key pillars of the development of any society," said Meddzida Kreso, President of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. "Such meetings in the framework of JUSTPAL will help us achieve progress in our practical efforts to strengthen the judiciary in our countries."
The JUSTPAL Network aims at sharing country experiences and results in justice reform and acts as a catalyst for engaging justice professionals to learn from and adapt experiences and peer-driven improvements to justice systems in Europe and Central Asia. The Network comprises four Communities of Practice: (a) Budgeting; (b) Physical Infrastructure; (c) Information Systems; and (d) Court Management and Administration. Based on requests from participating countries, JUSTPAL Communities of Practice are also being established for prosecutors and commercial court judges.
