Strengthening the laws and practices and procedures relating to property disputes and resolving them in a fair, efficient manner, accessible to all is key to advancing economic growth and enhancing confidence in the justice system in Kosovo.
To support this process, the USAID Property Rights Program (PRP) is working closely with the relevant judicial institutions in supporting the development and institution of court reforms in the judicial processing of property related cases.In this regard, a series of roundtable sessions have been
In this regard, a series of roundtable sessions have been organized and based on the review of the literature coupled with feedback received from interviewed judges in the courts of Ferizaj, Gjilan, and Gjakova, findings regarding the current state of property adjudication cases were formulated in a court assessment by the PRP.
Four ‘Courts of Merit’, the Basic Courts of Gjilan, Peja and Ferizaj with its Branch in Sterpce municipality were identified by the Chair of the Kosovo Judicial Council, the Presidents of the seven Basic Courts, the Supreme Court President and Court of Appeals President to serve as a vehicle to pilot reforms to improve judicial performance in the adjudication of property rights cases.
Aiming to implement and track the effect of changes, close coordination with the relevant judicial institutions in selection, design, and implementation of the ‘Courts of Merit’ will ensure that the vision set by the PRP and Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) meet the institutional expectations for a participatory process with sustainable results. The success and sustainability of assistance will improve court processes to more efficiently resolve property related claims and disputes.
The USAID Property Rights Program will continue to build and maintain a collaborative working relationship with KJC and other judicial institutions to ensure ownership that leads the court reform process in Kosovo.