Project Summary

Rule of Law and Access to Justice are one of the key requirements for Kosovo’s EU integration and achievement of the SDGs. While Kosovo has an adequate institutional and legal framework for the rights and protection of non-majority communities, the judicial institutions will increase efforts to ensure access to justice for all and people’s language rights in judicial proceedings.

The project “Promoting the rule of law by improving equal access to justice and advancing language rights” is contributing to improve the functioning of the rule of law and access to justice in Kosovo. More specifically, the project is designed to support the Kosovo Judicial Council and courts become more efficient in ensuring language rights in judicial proceedings for all community members and supporting the courts to manage cases and court archives more efficiently.

What We Want to Achieve

To support equal access to justice for all through increased court efficiency, improved access to court case files, and through improved access to language rights in judicial proceedings.

Expected Results:

1. Court archives system improved through infrastructure support and digitization of case files

2. Supporting language rights in judicial proceedings

3. Enhanced justice service delivery in Basic Prosecution of Mitrovicë/a North through legal assistance

4. Supporting the creation of a new cadre of legal resources through engagement of legal officers

Achievements

• Registered 252,052 old minor offense, and 96,261 civil cases across seven Basic Courts and the Court of Appeal in Pristina as part of digitization process

• A new modular court archive in Gjakova/Djakovica and a digital conference hall in the Basic Court of Pristina were established to modernize judicial performance and infrastructure

• Enhanced justice service delivery in the north through provision of legal and translation support in the Prosecution Office in Mitrovicë/a North:

  • Legal support for over 150 legal documents, 130+ trial case submissions, and registration of 317+ criminal reports

  • Language support for over 100 legal documents translated and 15+ court sessions interpreted, improving multilingual access to justice

• Upgraded the working infrastructure for the Office of Recovery of Assets

• Engaged 16 legal officers (13 women) in the digitization of the Court Archives project. Of them, 4 were permanently recruited as civil servants in the courts

Status:
Completed

Time Frame:
September 2024 – June 2025

Where:
Kosovo-wide

Beneficiaries:
The main beneficiaries of the project are: court users (people), judges, prosecutors, professional legal associates, legal officers, court clerks, and court translators.

Partners:
Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC), Kosovo Prosecutorial Council (KPC), Basic Courts, Court of Appeal in Pristina.

Contact
Marta K. Gazideda
Governance and Peacebuilding Portfolio Manager/ Deputy Programme Coordinator
📧 marta.gazideda@undp.org
📞 Tel: +383 38 249 066
📱 Mob: +383 49 785 895

Ardian Latifaj
Project Manager
📧 ardian.latifaj@undp.org
📞 +381 38 249 066 (ext. 307)
📱 Mob: +383 44 222 317