Measure 2.4.9

“HIJ capacity building to provide assistance/advice to the public on completing the grievance form”.

This measure seems to complement Measure 2.4.8 as it deals with HIJ’s capacity building to provide services to the public in order for the latter to start reporting on disciplinary violations committed by judges. Providing assistance with completing the form helps in the success of a disciplinary proceeding and in raising citizens’ awareness of their rights, of behaviors/actions/inactions that may constitute violations, as well as how to report on them in a convincing manner.

However, as we mentioned in relation to the above measure, the two measures combined (Measure 2.4.9 and 2.4.8), are about strengthening the capacities of the HIJ in the context of accountability of the judiciary, also increasing the transparency and public access to this institution. In this respect, we think that this measure does not meet Objective 2.4. which focuses on the judiciary and not its governing institutions.

Also, this measure is included in the HIJ Strategic Plan within Specific Objective 4.1: “Increasing public access through communication and cooperation with citizens”, where the provision of training for persons responsible for public reception is seen as a measure which shall be completed by the end of 2020. For this reason we think that the measure is not in coherence with the plans made by HIJ themselves.

Conclusion: The measure does not meet Objective 2.4 because it does not focus on the judiciary but on its governing institutions. The measure should also be in coherence with the provisions of the HIJ Action Plan. This measure, accompanied by other measures, could be included in the Strategy, if Objective 2.4 would also add the accountability of the judiciary as a goal.