Title

USAID project to promote judicial reform, Threshold Program of Account “Millennium Challenge” of Kyrgyz Republic

The project was created to implement the Agreement on promoting within the Threshold Program of Account “Millennium Challenge" between the Kyrgyz Republic and the United States under the program of strengthening the rule of law and curb corruption, signed on 14 March 2008 and ratified by the Kyrgyz Republic on April 14, 2008 № 56.

The aim of this project

Strengthening the independence, reducing corruption, improving efficiency and performance of the courts. The project consists of the following four components:

1. Personnel management (Part A) This component aims to improve the procedures for hiring, dismissal of judges and disciplinary actions from them, as well as ensuring the most efficient organization of the judiciary in addressing current and future cases. Main activities: • supporting the National Council of Justice in an efficient and transparent exercise of their functions in the appointment of judges and their dismissal from office; • support the development of processes for selecting candidates for judges and judicial security disciplines; • functional analysis of the judicial system and assist in the implementation of recommendations aimed at optimizing the personnel policy of the judiciary.

2. Judicial Independence (Part B) This component aims to develop the capacity of the judiciary to independently exercise their administrative functions and involve with the postgraduate education and training of judges. This includes strengthening the capacity of the Judicial Council to address the issues of judicial self-management of resources for the functioning of courts, control over the professionalism of judges and the organization of their learning.

Main activities: • To assist the Council of Judges in the planning and budgeting; • assistance in establishing a system of adequate and transparent disciplinary procedures for judges through the Judicial Council; • Improving the system of citizens' complaints against judges through the Judicial Council and to the Board of Judges in the regular publication of information on the status of response to complaints and disciplinary measures and disciplinary nature; • Improving training of judges under the supervision of the Judicial Council.

3. Commercial Law (Component C) This component aims at facilitating the procedures of litigation and enforcement of judgments in commercial matters. Main activities: • Providing technical assistance in effective implementation of changes in commercial law; • Assist to improve the system performance of judicial acts on commercial matters.

4. Computerisation of courts (Component D) This component aims to expand the use of automated court information system that provides mandatory distribution of cases by random sampling, and more open access to court decisions. Main activities: • Expansion of the automated control system of judicial information (SUSY) in order to increase transparency and efficiency of their activities, and conducting training for judges and court officials to use the system; • providing technical support and training in the transition to the distribution of cases by random sampling, and in order to improve the administration of all courts; • supporting the publication of judicial decisions and to ensure access to open court hearings.

Project Duration: 2008 -2010 Geography of the project: the whole of the Kyrgyz Republic USAID Contractor for the Project: DPK Consulting