Life in Kosovo discusses about emergency situations
Tonight, Life in Kosovo will broadcast a debate on the emergency situations in our country.
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Every Thursday starting from 20:30, Radio Television Kosovo, RTK, broadcasts the TV debate show "Life in Kosovo", a joint production of BIRN and RTK.
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Life in Kosovo debates the management of courts
12 August 2010 Life in Kosovo broadcast a debate on the management of courts in Kosovo, in light of the release of a manual prescribing how they should be run.
Among the questions discussed in the debate were: What challenges are faced by courts? What is contained in the new court manual? When will the manual come into force? Are there any budgetary implications? Are the changes in the manual in harmony with the new draft law on courts that will enter into force in 2011?
In order to discuss these and other issues related to the management of courts, the following guests joined host Fation Ademi in the studio:
Enver Peci – head of the Judicial Council of Kosovo
Murat Paqarada – administrator at Prishtina economic court
Avdi Haxhaj – head of Drenas municipal court
Ismail Haziri – administrator at Vushtrri municipal court
The debate started with Mr. Peci being asked when the new manuals will be implemented, and what it is intended to accomplish. He replied that the manual was approved by the Judicial Council last month, with the aim of clarifying the duties of court staff, such as court heads and the administrator that have had unclear competencies.
“The manual will allow the head of the court to deal with professional work, and the
administrator to do administrative jobs,” Mr. Peci said.
Asked who had created the manual, Mr. Luci said that, though the project was initiated by the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, the main work was done by Kosovo citizens.
Mr. Paqarada, when asked how courts functioned prior to the release of this manual, said that the previous regulations for court processes were outdated; for example, the duties of the head of the court were not covered. He went on to say that the new manual should have been produced earlier, but that “it came after a delay of ten years.”
Mr. Luci, asked where the manual’s instructions will be implemented, said “in all courts where conditions to do so exist.”
When asked whether it is possible to implement in Drenas municipal court, Mr. Haxhaj said that it would cause hardships because of its financial implications and building requirements. However, he did say that overall there are no conditions in his court that would preclude the implementation of the manual.
Mr. Haziri said that, although the new manual has been welcomed, there are many things that he believe will be impossible to implement and, when pressed, specified the nonexistence of some offices explicitly mentioned in it.
Mr. Peci said that the ultimate aim of the new rules is to engage everyone working in the court, not to create new jobs nor overwhelm current staff.
Mr. Paqarada disagreed with Mr. Haziri, claiming that there are no significant financial burdens caused by the manual, and that all “that is needed is the will to implement it”.
Asked how court communications will be regulated, bearing in mind that there have been numerous media and public information problems in the past, Mr. Peci said that every citizen has the right to observe court cases. Until now, this option has been limited. “The aim is to open courts to journalists, and to elect someone from each court as an information coordinator to organise [such matters],” Mr. Peci said.
Talking about the measures that will be used for staff who do not abide by the new manual, Mr. Peci said that the Judicial Council has its own mechanisms. He said that the manual sets strict procedures on who will report about whom and in what cases. He added that “[they] are hoping that such matters will not come to the point of punishment, as far as respecting the manual goes.”
Other reports
In the Justice in Kosovo section, a report by journalist Genc Nimoni was broadcast about the new Palace of Justice, looking into how construction is progressing and questions about land ownership.
An investigative report by the journalist Alban Selimi was also shown, discussing the opposition to the establishment of a new emergency department at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo.
In addition, an interview by Jeta Xharra with Sislej Xhafa, an artist from Kosovo, was broadcast.
THE PROCESS OF JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS AND REAPPOINTMENTS OF JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS
The report on the process of judicial appointments and reappointments analysis the flow of this process, specifically focusing on the bright and dark sides that have marred the process to its final stages.
COURT MONITORING ANNUAL REPORT APRIL 2010 - FEBRUARY 2011
Court monitoring report is published as a result of a continuous monitoring of all municipal and districts courts of Kosovo. The findings of this report are based on the monitoring of 2,147 court hearings, by BIRN monitors.
THE PROCESS OF JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS
This report presents the results of part of BIRN's court monitoring project, specifically on the process for the appointment and reappointment of judges and prosecutors.
Follow the Paper Trail
\"Follow the Paper Trail\", a guide to document-based journalism in Kosovo, explains relevant laws, access to public documents, how to publish safely, where to find databases on investigative journalism, and how to locate documents online through various search engines.
Courts Monitoring Report 2010
A detailed analytical report about the work and administration of the courts in Prishtina, Peja, Prizren, Gjilan, Mitrovica, Ferizaj, Gjakova, Decan, Vushtrri, Poduleva, Lipjan, Klina and Istog. The report contains important information, collected by the network of monitors, placed in the major municipalities of Kosovo and aims to identify the key problems and issues that the justice system in Kosovo is facing.
REPORT: Monitoring the Courts 2009
Monitoring the work and administration of courts in Prishtina, Peja, Mitrovica, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Vushtrri and Skenderaj.
DIRECTLY ELECTED MAYOR SYSTEM IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE
The report on Directly Elected mayor System in Local Governance aims to provide a critical overview of the rationale and feasibility of the implementation of a municipal governance system that places the mayor as the central executive figure, during the third year of its application. The efficiency of this system was assessed based on the following pillars: the relationship between local government bodies, accountability of the municipal executive, respect for the law, the link between the mayor and the citizens, provision of public services (water supply and waste management, capital investments (in school and road projects)), level of transparency, public consultation and citizen participation in decision-making.
BIRN Report on Monitoring the Education System
Report on monitoring the elementary and high schools in Prishtina: Mitrovica, Ferizaj, Peja and Gjilan
Analytical report of the situation and the problems in the University of Prishtina
Report on Kosovo`s Healthcare System
Monitoring report on all primary, secondary and tertiary (University Clinical Center of Kosovo, UCCK) healthcare institutions in Pristina, Prizren, Peja, Mitrovica, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Gjakova, Klina, Decan, Istog and Vushtrri.
Situation and the Problems at the University of Prishtina
Analytical report of research into the standards and problems at the University of Prishtina. Ten years since the end of the war in Kosovo, the University of Prishtina (UP) continues to suffer from a variety of problems, resulting in persistently low quality courses being offered. For this reason, BIRN conducted research into the problems faced by UP students. The data gathered suggests that, out of the many issues reported, the most significant are: the non-implementation of contemporary teaching and assessment methods, the lack of practical work for students, the lack of appropriate academic literature, arbitrary assessments by
professors and generally poor relationships between students and their professors.
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The opinions expressed in Balkan Insight are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.
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