A conference and a workshop to launch the project “Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the Court of Cassation” took place in Ankara on 20 and 21 June 2019.

The project, jointly funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, is envisaged to last three years.

Its main aim is to further strengthen and make more concrete and visible the overall independence, impartiality, efficiency and administration of the judiciary by addressing issues affecting both the efficiency and the efficacy of the Court of Cassation.

The first day of the programme featured the opening speeches of Mr Christophe POIREL, Director of Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Mr Christian BERGER, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, Mr Faruk Kaymakci, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Director for EU Affairs, Mr Abdulhamit GUL, Minister of Justice and Mr Ismail Rustu CIRIT, First President of the Court of Cassation, which were followed by a presentation of the project, an expert lecture on relevant international standards and examples of good practices and reflections by stakeholders.

A workshop on “The Efficiency of the Judiciary” was staged on the second day, where participants discussed topics pre-designed relevant to the project.

Approximately 350 people, including chiefs and members of the chambers, rapporteur judges and public prosecutors of the Court of Cassation, judges and public prosecutors of appellate courts and first instance courts, representatives of the institutions in the justice sector and the high courts, participated in the different sessions of the conference and of the workshop.

Website: www.coe.int/cdcj