The "Crystal Scales of Justice" competition, first launched in 2005, is organised annually by the Council of Europe to highlight innovative and efficient pratices used in European Courts for court organisation of for the conduct of judicial proceedings (for example, initiatives devised by a court president, a registry, a Bar) and deserving to be drawn to the attention of policy-makers and the judicial community so as to improve the functioning of the public justice system.

The prize is awarded by a jury of European legal professionals and the award ceremony takes palce within the framework of the European Day of Justice.

2023 Edition
crédit photos : Dylan Marschal/Ministère de la Justice

crédit photos : Dylan Marschal/Ministère de la Justice

The 2023 “Crystal Scales of Justice” Prize has been awarded to the Judicial Training School and “Hope For Children” - CRC Policy Center (Cyprus), for its “Kids in Court Game” initiative for children. The project “Kids in Court Game (KiCGame)” (Presentation) consists of four different games designed to prepare children psychologically and emotionally to testify in court as witnesses.

Two special mentions were also awarded to the two following projects:

The prize was awarded to George Erotocritou, Director of the School and Andria Neocleous, Executive Director of Hope for Children, at a ceremony organised in Paris in the presence of Eric Dupond-Moretti, Minister of Justice (France), Pap Ndiaye, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of France to the Council of Europe and Christophe Poirel, Director of Human Rights of the Council of Europe. Members of the competition jury, which comprised prominent personalities in the field of justice, were also at the ceremony, to explain the jury’s choice. The Ministry of Justice of France, winner of the last edition of the Prize (2021), hosted the event.

The Crystal Scales of Justice Prize is organised by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) and aims to highlight European best practices within European judicial systems. For this year’s edition, 48 projects from 17 countries were submitted, focusing in particular on access to justice, the protection of victims, and the digitalisation of justice.


 Press release
Council of Europe Crystal Scales of Justice Prize awarded to Cypriot children’s initiative

Council of Europe Strasbourg 5 October 2023
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European Day of Justice

 25 October: The European Day of Justice is an event to enable European citizens to be better informed about their rights and about the way justice is functioning. It is celebrated during the last week of October each year in all European States which choose to do so. (more...)

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