EWMI assisted Albania in its efforts to create an efficient, impartial, knowledgeable and transparent judiciary through its USAID-funded Albania Judicial Court Administration Training Program (JTP), and its follow-on, the Albanian Legal Systems in Support of Market Reform (LSSMR) Program. Through both programs, EWMI used a three-tiered approach: (i) judicial institution building; (ii) training of judicial personnel, and; (iii) access to and knowledge about the judicial system and laws. EWMI provided extensive training to the Albanian School of Magistrates (SOM), the official institution founded for the purpose of training new judges and providing continuing education for sitting judges, particularly in the area of commercial law. EWMI improved court administration through the development and organization of the Directorate of Judicial Organization (DJO) at the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). EWMI played a critical support role to the National Judicial Conference (NJC) through the establishment of the NJC Secretariat Office and the inauguration of the Roundtable Forum of the Chief Judges of Albania. Assistance to the Ministry of Justice included analysis and advice regarding the law governing the development, organization, and functioning of the DJO, and recommendations on the organizational development of the DJO itself and its relation to the courts and court chancellors. Finally, EWMI improved citizen access to the court system through the development of innovative public awareness materials.
Albania Judicial Training/Strengthening
—