The Launch Event for the “Road Map for an Improved Administrative Justice System” was organised on 27 April 2022 under the Joint Project on Improving the Effectiveness of the Administrative Judiciary and Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the Council of State.
The meeting was attended by Mr Zekeriya Birkan, Deputy Minister of Justice; Mr Halil Koç, president of the 1st Chamber of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors; Mr Kemal Açıkgöz, Secretary General of the Council of State; Mr Hakan Öztatar, Director General of the Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Justice; Mr Veli Küçük, Secretary General of Union of Turkish Bar Associations; Prof Dr Muharrem Kılıç, President of Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey; Mr Cristian Urse, Head of Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara; Mr Christophe Poirel, Director of Human Rights Department of Council of Europe (online); Mr Ray Burningham, Council of Europe consultant (online); as well as presidents of Regional Administrative Courts, and members of judiciary.
During the event, valuable speeches were made regarding the Road Map were delivered and a promotional film was shown to the participants showing the presentation of progress achieved.
The main elements of the Road Map are structured under five main chapters:
I. Reducing the Workload of the First Instance Courts and the Regional Administrative Courts
1. Good Public Administration Decision- Making and Internal Review
2. Promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution
3. Simplification and Enhancing the Efficiency of Administrative Trial Procedure
II. Human Resources: Improving Professional Capacity
III. Enhancement of Quality, Performance and Productivity
IV. Ensuring Access to Justice and Enhancing Satisfaction from Service
V. Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the Council of State and Promoting Unity of Case Law
For the first time in the Turkish administrative justice system, and in taking into account the goals of the Project, an in-depth review of the system was conducted with the participation and contributions of all stakeholders, consultations were made, and the Road Map was developed to work on the identified issues.
The Road Map provides suggestions on reforms, building on the innovations presented by the Project and implemented reforms; the Road Map is monitored through the Initial Assessment Report (2020) and the Interim Assessment Report (2021) and assesses the value of the changes and reforms introduced pursuant to the Project and makes recommendations for further reforms with the Final Assessment Report (2022). As a living document, the Road Map for an Improved Administrative Justice System will be updated to reflect the progress achieved when the project is completed.
Road Map for an Improved Administrative Justice System can be accessed through the following links:
Turkish: https://rm.coe.int/tr-final-yol-haritasi-web-2790-8821-0182-1/1680a609ff
English: https://rm.coe.int/en-road-map-web-2754-8104-2438-1/1680a609fe
