Court-user satisfaction and self-assessment surveys have been conducted within the scope of the Baseline Study, Gap and Needs Analysis activity of the EU-CoE Joint Project on “Increasing the Effectiveness of Family Courts: Better Protection of the Rights of Family Members”, implemented by the Council of Europe and the Turkish Justice Academy.
In line with the identified issues in the desk-based study report drafted within the project, six tailored survey questionnaires were drafted for citizens and lawyers who are party/counsel to a case in family courts, family court judges, auxiliary court staff, prosecutors at domestic violence bureaus and experts in Judicial Support and Victim Rights Departments.
The questionnaires have successfully been conducted face-to-face with citizens and lawyers in seven pilot courthouses in Ankara, İzmir, Sakarya, Ordu, Hatay, Mardin and Kars between 16 March 2022 – 15 April 2022. The tailored self-assessment questionnaires for judges, prosecutors, court staff and experts were conducted online in the same period.
The surveys aim to identify existing shortcomings and improvement needs in the procedures and practices related to divorce procedures, alimony and compensation determination, application of the principle of the best interest of the child, management of domestic violence cases, length of proceedings, and secondary vulnerabilities suffered by women, children, and vulnerable groups either before or during the trial or with regard to access to justice.
These surveys are a part of the baseline study which will be followed by a comprehensive report based on the analysis of the whole information collected, presenting the findings and analysis of the current situation and needs. The report will specifically address the key issues and identified needs in relation to the development of possible legislative amendments and practical tools, regarding the divorce case-management, alimony and compensation determination, custody arrangements, implementation of ADR mechanisms in the field of family justice, and improvement of legal procedures related to domestic violence.
The “Improving the Effectiveness of Family Courts: Better Protection of the Rights of Family Members” Project is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe and Justice Academy of Turkey. The Project aims to ensure rule of law and fundamental rights in Turkey as fully in line with international and European standards and to improve the effectiveness of family courts in protecting the rights of women, children, and other family members.
