News of the Judicial System

As the National Courts Administration is implementing the programme of the Norwegian financial mechanism, 11 representatives of the Lithuanian judicial system had an opportunity to spend 3-4 weeks improving their qualification and skills in various areas in the European institutions.

In 2014–2015 the specialists went for internship to the network of the European Juridical Boards, institution of legal cooperation of the European Union, Norwegian Courts Administration, European network of judicial training, Federal Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Austria, Institute of Unification of International Private Law, Icelandic Supreme Court, Stuttgart Administrative Court, Berlin Court of Appeals, etc.

During the internships the operation principles of foreign institutions were analyzed together with the legal systems of those countries (relevant questions in criminal, civil and administrative law), the good practice was exchanged how to organize and implement the activities of court work and administration, and how to solve the questions of planning of courts’ strategy and policy of open courts in the country.

“The main outcome of these internships is that the good foreign practice has been adapted in the Lithuanian judicial system. We improved the organization procedure of judges’ training, directions of courts’ communication, initiated the inducement means of judicial mediation, started to create the network of help to witnesses and the aggrieved persons taking into consideration the information and recommendations collected by the courts’ representatives, who had been on internships. We also looked to many aspects of the courts’ activities from other perspective after having assessed the good practice of other countries and learnt lessons. We also noticed the places, which should be corrected, – says the director of the National Courts Administration, Mrs. Reda Molienė. – To react to positive outcomes of internships, in 2016 we will organize two additional internships, which purpose is to get familiar with the Norwegian experience in organization of the work of court’s psychologists and creation f network f court’s volunteers.”

Numerous positive impressions and good practice were brought from the Kingdom of Norway, as well – Norwegian Courts Administration. It was visited by the representatives of the National Courts Administration, who were examining the strategic plans of the Lithuanian and Norwegian courts together with the Norwegians, suggested to improve the analysis of courts’ statistics, and to increase centralization of implementation of administrative functions of the courts. Besides, the introduction was made to the tendencies of case impersonalization, the contribution was made to generalization of application of mediation prepared by the Norwegian group of experts in Lithuania and Norway and recommendations regarding organization of judicial mediation’s courses in Lithuania. With regard to them, the training of application of judicial mediation of the Lithuanian judges were started and implemented successfully in Lithuanian in 2015.

The big job was also done in the communication area. The internship in the Norwegian Courts Administration served to examine what openness in courts may help to achieve. The assistant of chairman of the District Court of Vilnius City for Public Relations was learning about the internal communication means and cooperation of courts with press in the United Kingdom during her internship in HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

These internships allowed the representatives of communication area to contribute actively to preparation of the methodical publication “Manual of Court Communication” meant for the representatives of the Lithuanian judicial system.

The activities were financed by the funds of the project “Improvement (Training) of Competence of Representatives of Judicial System (including Judges, Court’s Employees and NCA representatives” of the programme sponsored by the Norwegian financial mechanism “Effectiveness, Quality and Transparency in the Lithuanian Courts”.