46 / 56
CENTRE OF EXPERTISE IN JUDICIARY @ TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL ROMANIA
44
TI MoVement Expertise in
strenghtening the JUDICIARY
Many Chapters across the TI Movement have gained significant experience in working on and with
the judiciary. This section does not attempt to provide an exhaustive list of all work that has been done,
but seeks to capture in a brief overview the diversity of approaches pursued by TI Chapters around
the world. It also serves as evidence that stakeholder engagement in strengthening the judiciary`s
capacity to curb corruption is already happening by demanding that national judiciaries comply with
international standards.
1. Assessing judicial corruption
TI has conducted researches in many countries to assess the extent of judicial corruption in those
countries, thereby opening the way for further engagement and advocacy. For example:
•
TI Romania
carried out three annual research projects on judicial independence between 2005
ant2007, with a regional replica in South-East Europe in 2009. Findings from these studies
allowed the Chapter to develop a range of specific recommendations for policy reform, such
as regulating the status of prosecutors, reforming the system of promotions within the judiciary,
justifying judges’ decisions and making them accessible to the public.
•
In 2014, five Chapters in
South Asia
(
Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
)
completed NIS assessment in their countries, providing insight into judicial weaknesses at
national and regional level.
•
25 European countries
(
Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK
)
undertook NIS assessments in their countries in 2012, identifying specific weaknesses in the
judicial sector and issuing recommendations for reform.
•
TI
Vanuatu
integrated the judicial monitoring of court cases into its National Integrity System
assessment. The project used ALAC case files to examine court cases and investigate the
existing case backlog. The Chapter was subsequently invited to join a national steering
committee for improvement of the judiciary.
•
TI Kyrgyzstan
conducted an assessment of corruption risks in the country’s judiciary with the
aim of assessing the extent of corruption, and identifying the causes and systemic factors that
engender corruption in the judiciary.
•
A Judiciary Project in
Chile
supports the strengthening of transparency, accountability, and
integrity in the Judiciary; in 2013, a consultancy project funded by the Institutional Development
Fund (IDF) identified related gaps and made recommendations to the judiciary.
•
In the context of the
Yemen
NIS, the Yemeni Team for Transparency and Integrity (YTTI)
carried out an assessment on the judiciary to identify areas for improvement and proposed
recommendations for reform.
•
TI Kosovo
developed indicators for assessing the prevalence of corruption in Kosovo’s judicial
system. This tool can be used periodically to assess the impact of reform efforts in Kosovo’s
justice sector. By analysing court cases, judicial capacity and functioning of the general court
system, the report provides insight into the remaining gaps and corruption risks.
•
TI Kazakhstan
launched a “Courts without Corruption” initiative. The project conducted in 2001
aimed at increasing public awareness of corruption in the country’s judicial system, raising
standards through research and analysis of both the country’s legal system and the informal
practices that surround it, and applying other countries’ experience in Kazakhstan.
•
TI Chapters
worldwide have examined the judiciary as a key pillar in their country’s national
integrity system (NIS).