Newsroom
OSCE Mission to Skopje supports implementation of fair trial standards
SKOPJE 4 November 2004
SKOPJE, 4 November 2004 - The Final Report on the implementation of international fair trial standards by domestic courts was made public in Skopje yesterday.
A country-wide trial observation was conducted between July 2003 and July 2004 by the OSCE supported Coalition "All for Fair Trials." A total of 1,010 criminal hearings and 907 civil hearings were monitored.
The report focuses on the level of respect of the right to fair trial by the courts and identifies gaps and obstacles in their implementation, highlighting areas where reform is needed and providing concrete recommendations.
"The final Report provides an objective assessment of the implementation of fair trial standards by domestic courts and gives indications of the direction in which the judicial reform process should be heading," said Trajce Pelivanov, President of "All for Fair Trials".
The Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, Ambassador Carlos Pais, said: "According to the findings, the judiciary generally shows a satisfactory level of respect for international fair trial standards, including the right to remain silent and the right to a defence."
"Although this country has the responsibility to organize the legal system to provide trials in a reasonable time, the report shows that the judiciary usually fails to respect this standard. This happens in a number of ways, including the frequent adjournment of hearings, long gaps between adjournments and delays between the submission of a case to the court and its delivery to the defendant. It is clear that a central objective of the judicial reform process must be to increase respect for the right to a judicial process in a reasonable time," added Ambassador Pais.
The Report was prepared in co-operation with five national legal experts and the participation of senior judicial officials.
A total of 80 trial observers were involved in gathering data from criminal and civil hearings.
A Working Group composed of representatives from the judiciary and the Coalition will now be established to follow-up on the implementation of the report's recommendations.
A country-wide trial observation was conducted between July 2003 and July 2004 by the OSCE supported Coalition "All for Fair Trials." A total of 1,010 criminal hearings and 907 civil hearings were monitored.
The report focuses on the level of respect of the right to fair trial by the courts and identifies gaps and obstacles in their implementation, highlighting areas where reform is needed and providing concrete recommendations.
"The final Report provides an objective assessment of the implementation of fair trial standards by domestic courts and gives indications of the direction in which the judicial reform process should be heading," said Trajce Pelivanov, President of "All for Fair Trials".
The Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, Ambassador Carlos Pais, said: "According to the findings, the judiciary generally shows a satisfactory level of respect for international fair trial standards, including the right to remain silent and the right to a defence."
"Although this country has the responsibility to organize the legal system to provide trials in a reasonable time, the report shows that the judiciary usually fails to respect this standard. This happens in a number of ways, including the frequent adjournment of hearings, long gaps between adjournments and delays between the submission of a case to the court and its delivery to the defendant. It is clear that a central objective of the judicial reform process must be to increase respect for the right to a judicial process in a reasonable time," added Ambassador Pais.
The Report was prepared in co-operation with five national legal experts and the participation of senior judicial officials.
A total of 80 trial observers were involved in gathering data from criminal and civil hearings.
A Working Group composed of representatives from the judiciary and the Coalition will now be established to follow-up on the implementation of the report's recommendations.