Improving the functioning, performance and access to justice in Tunisia (AP- JUST)

January 2019- December 2022

The European Union/Council of Europe joint project “Improving the functioning, performance and acess to justice in Tunisia (AP-JUST), is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe.

Context of the project

The European Union is supporting the reform of justice in Tunisia through important cooperation programmes. As part of its neighbourhood policy, the Council of Europe has established close cooperation with Tunisia from 2011, to support democratic political transition based on common values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. One of the priorities of this partnership has been and remains supporting the justice reform. The two international organisations, which work in partnership on the basis of shared values and standards, have decided to continue sharing their efforts in the framework of this joint programme supporting justice sector reform in Tunisia.

Project's objectives

The "AP-JUST" programme aims at strengthening, further developing, deepening and sustaining justice reform with a view to improve the quality and effectiveness of day to day justice service functioning provided by courts to Tunisian litigants.

Expected outcomes

Laws and policies in the area of justice comply with European standards;
Capacities of justice stakeholders: judges, lawyers, clercks... are strengthened and litigants benefit from a better quality of services;
Functioning and governance of the judicial system are improved and more efficient.

Main activities

Counselling, analysis and expertise to review legislative and policy frameworks: needs assessments, mapping of legal, institutional and political frameworks; legal reviews, opinions, reports and recommendations based on the methodologies of the Council of Europe with the participation of the Council of Europe's networks of experts;
Capacity building: tailored assistance; counselling, training/training of trainers and other forms of technical support; availability of tools and methodologies for the implementation of priority reforms aimed at developing new capacities and competencies.
Networking and peer exchange: participation of Tunisian experts in Council of Europe networks; round tables/expert working groups, peer reviews and exchanges of good practices.
Communication and outreach tools: awarenessraising and advocacy activities; publications, translations and dissemination of relevant materials in Arabic, French and English; online awareness activities and social networks

Project beneficiaries and stakeholders

Ministry of Justice, High Judiciary Institute (ISM), High Judiciary Council (CSM), Tunisian courts, Tunisian judges and prosecutors

contacts

Emmanuel Baron

Project coordinator - Council of Europe office in Tunis (Tunisia)

Narjes Tira
Field officer - Council of Europe office in Tunis (Tunisia)

Anastasiia Nohovitsyna

Project coordinator - Council of Europe in Strasbourg

Sandrine Lutz
Project assistant - Council of Europe in Strasbourg

Fathia Aboud

Project assistant- Council of Europe office in Tunis (Tunisia)

CEPEJ documents translated into Arabic

Training kit

Kit de formation [en français et en arabe] - vidéos et présentations powerpoint

Useful links

News

CEPEJ organised a conference with the Tunisian Court of Cassation, on the United Departments : situation and perspectives

12-13 May 2022 Tunis, Tunisia

The Tunisian Court of Cassation, the Tunisian Ministry of Justice and the CEPEJ co-organised on 12 and 13 May 2022 a conference in Tunis on the united departments : situation and perspectives aiming at exchanging on their composition, status, missions and harmonisation of their jurisprudence. The...

Conference on the digitalisation of justice

8 April 2022 Tunis, Tunisia

Seminar for Tunisian Lawyers on "Artificial Intelligence and Justice: Comparative European Experiences

2 December 2021 Hammamet (Tunisia)

On 2 December 2021, the CEPEJ, in cooperation with the Tunisian National Bar Association (ONAT), organised a seminar for Tunisian lawyers on "Artificial Intelligence and Justice: Comparative European Experiences” in Hammamet. This seminar, which is part of a series of events concerning the reform...

Workshop on the Handbook of Good Practice on Judicial Expertise in Tozeur (Tunisia)

26 November 2021 Tozeur (Tunisia)

Following the workshop of 29 October in Hammamet, the CEPEJ, in cooperation with the Tunisian Ministry of Justice, organised on 26 November a workshop on the draft Handbook of Good Practice on Judicial Expertise, which is being prepared by judges, lawyers and judicial experts from the region of...

Second Workshop on the Lawyer and Electronic procedures for Tunisian Lawyers

11 November 2021 Tunisia

On 11 November 2021, the CEPEJ, in cooperation with the Tunisian National Bar Association (ONAT), organised a second seminar for Tunisian lawyers on electronic procedures, following a first seminar organised on 21 October 2021. An analysis of the existing situation and the resources available in...

Consultation on the Manual of good practice on judicial expertise in Tunisia

29 October 2021 Hammamet (Tunisia)

The CEPEJ, in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, organised on 29 October 2021 in Hammamet (Tunisia), a regional consultation and dissemination seminar on the draft manual of good practice on judicial expertise. The aim of this event was to present a first version of this document, produced...

Seminar on "The Lawyer and Electronic Procedures: Insights on Comparative European Experiences" for Tunisian Lawyers

21 October 2021 Tunisia

On 21 October 2021, the CEPEJ, in cooperation with the Tunisian National Bar Association (ONAT), is organising a seminar on "The Lawyer and electronic procedures: a look at comparative European experiences" for Tunisian lawyers. The seminar will consist of a presentation, by CEPEJ experts, of...

Workshop in Tunisia " Introducing mediation training: overview of the CEPEJ Guidelines and relevant European experiences”

5th October 2021 Tunis (Tunisia)

In continuity of the actions dedicated to mediation initiated since the beginning of the year, the CEPEJ, in cooperation with the Tunisian National Bar Association (ONAT) organised on 5th October 2021 an online workshop on introducing mediation training in the country. During this workshop which...

Workshop on mediation in Tunisia: Exchanges about the introduction of mediation in a country in the light of the CEPEJ guidelines and the comparative European experiences

12 July 2021 Tunisia

In continuity of the actions dedicated to mediation initiated since the beginning of the year, the CEPEJ, in cooperation with the Tunisian National Bar Association (ONAT) organised on 12 July 2021 a workshop dedicated to the integration of mediation in a national system. Regarding the existing...

Seminar on "Mediation in civil matters: practices and foundations" for Tunisian lawyers

22-24 June 2021 Tunis (Tunisia)

From 22 to 24 June 2021, the CEPEJ, in cooperation with the National Order of Tunisian Lawyers (ONAT), is organising 3 seminars on “Mediation in civil matters and foundations”. Comparative European experiences, practices and foundations will be presented by the CEPEJ experts. This event is a...

Online conference on artificial intelligence in the field of justice for future Tunisian magistrates

18 June 2021 Tunis (Tunisia)

In the framework of the support to the initial training of Tunisian magistrates, in partnership with the Tunisian Higher Institute for Magistracy (ISM) and the Tunisian Ministry of Justice, the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) is organising an online conference on the...

Online conference on the role of the judge in mediation for future Tunisian magistrates

11 June 2021 Online

An online conference on "The Judge and Mediation" will be jointly organised by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), the Tunisian High Institute of Magistracy and the Tunisian Ministry of Justice on 11 June 2021 in the framework of the support of the initial training of...

Conclusions of the seminar on possible solutions for a better management of cases in courts at the time of the Covid-19 crisis for Tunisian magistrates and registrars

05 May 2021 Tunisia

Magistrates and chief registrars from different jurisdictions met on 5 May to exchange with CEPEJ international and national experts on best practices for the internal management of European and Tunisian courts in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic The main conclusions of this videoconference...

CEPEJ works with lawyers to develop expertise on civil mediation

28 May 2021 Tunisia

On 28 May 2021, the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) and the Tunisian National Bar Association (ONAT) will co-organise a seminar on "Mediation in civil matters: which practices and which foundations?" for the attention of Tunisian lawyers. During this event, European...

Conference on the internal management of the general inspectorate of the Ministry of justice of Tunisia at the time of covid 19: comparative experiences

17th December 2020 Tunis (Tunisia)

The CEPEJ, in partnership with the Tunisian Ministry of Justice organised on 17 December 2020, a videoconference on the following topic: "The internal management of the General Inspectorate at the time of COVID 19: exchanges and comparative experiences". The aim of this videoconference was to...

Tunisian lawyers are trained in mediation

30-31 March 2021 Tunis (Tunisia)

A training course on "The lawyer and mediation" was organised on 30 and 31 March in semi-face-to-face format in Tunis. Aimed at lawyers, it was organized in partnership with the National Order of Lawyers (ONAT) as part of the AP-JUST "Improving functioning, performance and access to justice in...

Training of Tunisian clerks of justice in the financial and administrative management of the regional administrations of the Ministry of Justice

5 to 8 April 2021 Tunisia

A first training workshop, organised in Tunis from 5 to 8 April 2021, enabled 25 clerks of justice and agents from the regional administrations of the Ministry of Justice of Bizerte, Beja and Tunis to meet in compliance with health rules and to be trained in administrative and financial...

Mediation training seminar for Tunisian lawyers

19 February 2021 Tunisia

The CEPEJ, with the support of the European Union and in partnership with the Tunisian National Bar Association (ONAT) organised on 19 February 2021 a training seminar by videoconference on "The lawyer and mediation". The seminar was opened by Mr Hatem MZIOU, Secretary General of the Tunisian...

The distance trial in Tunisia: state of play and lessons learned

28 January 2021 Tunisia

Consecrated by Decree-Law No. 2020-12 of 27 April 2020 supplementing the Code of Criminal Procedure, several remote criminal trials have recently been organised in Tunisia. In order to take stock of the situation, draw the first lessons and reflect on these recent experiences, a round table was...

Conference on the lawyer and judicial time: a look at the Tunisian and European experiences

10 October 2020 Tunisia

Within the framework of the joint European Union/Council of Europe program aiming at improving the functioning, performance and access to justice in Tunisia (AP-JUST) co-financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the latter, the CEPEJ in cooperation with the...

News

Back Conference on the digitalisation of justice

In the framework of the joint European Union/Council of Europe program aimed at improving the functioning, performance and access to justice in Tunisia (AP-JUST) co-financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the latter, the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) in cooperation with the Higher Institute for the Profession of a Lawyer (ISPA) under the supervision of the Tunisian Ministry of Justice organised a seminar on the digitisation of justice on the 8 April 2022 in Tunis.

The objective of the seminar was to draw up an inventory of the Tunisian experience of the digitisation of justice and to present certain European experiences in this area, and, in particular, the Austrian one.

The event was opened by Mr. Toni PAVLOSKI, the Deputy Head of the Council of Europe office in Tunisia and by Mrs. Sihem Oueslati, the Secretary General of the ISPA.

Magistrates, lawyers and university professors, trainers at the ISPA participated in this seminar and were able to discuss the prospects for the digitisation of justice and its impact on the training of future lawyers.

Tunis, Tunisia 8 April 2022