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**HOIATUS** Selles kirjas esineb kahtlast sisu. Palun olla tähelepanelik selle töötlemisel. Küsimuste korral pöördu IT osakonda.

Dear all,

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who has completed the survey. Your valuable input is highly appreciated.

As with the Conferences of Chief Justices held over the past fifteen years, this year’s Conference is designed as an informal and practical discussion among Supreme Courts, structured around the five topics identified in the draft agenda. These topics were selected based on the survey responses you kindly shared with us.

In line with this format, each Court President will have the opportunity to briefly address each topic, without the need to prepare formal speeches. The intention is to encourage an open and interactive exchange of experiences and perspectives.

We have included a set of guiding questions under each topic. Participants are not expected to address every question; rather, these are intended to support your preparation and to create a common understanding of the practical challenges and solutions in each jurisdiction.

Please find attached the draft agenda for the Conference, along with additional organizational information:

• Each delegation is invited to participate in a 1+1 format (1 Chief Justice and 1 Judge or other representative).
• Participants are responsible for covering their own accommodation and international travel expenses.
• The conference will be held in English and Macedonian, with Albanian interpretation provided.
• Conference-related expenses, including the venue, meals and the Welcome Coctail, interpreters, local transportation, as well as participation in the social programme, will be covered by the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Macedonia.
• Transfers between Skopje International Airport and the hotel will be arranged by the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Macedonia.

We kindly request all Courts who are participating in the Conference, to confirm their attendance and indicate the number of representatives who will be joining the Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe in North Macedonia ([email protected] and [email protected]).

Your prompt response will greatly assist us in making the necessary arrangements and ensuring a smooth and successful event for all participants.

On the following link, you can make room reservations at Skopje Marriott Hotel:

Event Summary:
Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe North Macedonia | June 22-23, 2026
Start Date: Sunday, June 21, 2026
End Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Hotel(s) offering your special group rate:

Skopje Marriott Hotel for 120.00 EUR per night

Book your group rate for Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe North Macedonia | June 22-23, 2026

Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Marina Mileva LL.M

Senior Judicial Adviser
President's Office

Dear Chief Justices,

Please accept our warm greetings from North Macedonia.

In anticipation of the Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe, scheduled to take place on 22–23 June 2026 in Skopje, we would be grateful to receive your views and suggestions regarding the themes to be addressed during the conference. Your perspectives are essential to ensuring that the agenda reflects shared priorities and responds to current challenges faced by our judiciaries.

We would therefore kindly invite you to complete the enclosed survey and return it by 20 February 2026, as indicated in the document. The information you provide will greatly assist us in designing a programme that fosters meaningful exchange, practical insight and constructive dialogue among participants.

We look forward to welcoming you in our capital and share two days of substantive discussions and collegial exchange. We would also like to bring you closer to our rich macedonian history and culture by visiting some of the sites that represent significant national heritage.

We appreciate your cooperation and time.

Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Kind regards,

Marina Mileva LL.M

Independent Judicial Advisor
President's Office

Supreme Court
of the Republic of North Macedonia
Blvd Krste Misirkov No.8
1000 Skopje
tel: +389 70/242 - 008
e-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]

CEELI Judicial Survey 2026.docx

Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe
June 22, 2026 – June 23, 2026, Skopje, North Macedonia

Survey of Chief Justices

We need your assistance in preparing the agenda for the upcoming Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe that will be held in Skopje, North Macedonia. It is important that the topics for discussion are relevant and important to you and your judiciary. The information you provide will be used in finalizing the agenda for the Conference. Please return your survey response as indicated at the end of the survey.
1. Name, title and country:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the best email address or addresses to reach you going forward?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What are some of the most critical issues now facing your court and judiciary? Please list and shortly describe.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Would you be willing to make a presentation on a particular issue or challenge faced by your court, or on any of the issues listed below? If yes, please provide a brief description of the issue.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Please indicate your interest in the following possible discussion topics for the Conference (max 5 topics):
Topic
Very Interested
Moderately Interested
Not Interested
1. Public confidence in the judiciary
- experiences in Central and Eastern Europe on public confidence in the judiciary and steps courts are taking to address it; possible new strategies for improving public confidence and court communications

2. Judicial Independence
– appointing ethical, independent judges
–ensuring institutional independence from the other branches of government

3. Fighting Judicial Corruption
– effective disciplinary mechanisms, strong codes of ethics, asset disclosure policies, training

4. Techniques for enhancing access to justice

5. Domestic reception of law from International European courts

6. Cross-border transactions, litigation and information sharing

7. Extraordinary judicial vetting to enhance judicial integrity

8. Appellate case management to increase appellate court efficiency

9. Current and coming uses of AI in judicial proceedings and administration
– Use of AI as a tool for reducing trial-court backlogs and delays

10. Judicial speech on issues of public concern The recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights on the free speech rights of judges, and its likely effect within the countries and courts of Central and Eastern Europe.

6. Are there other topics or subtopics under this questionnaire that you would like the Conference to address now or in the future? If so, please list them.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please email your responses to the North Macedonian Supreme Court ([email protected] and [email protected], and the CEELI Institute, [email protected] and [email protected], no later than Friday, February 20, 2026.)

Conference Agenda Draft.pdf

www.vsrm.mk www.ceeliinstitute.org

Conference Agenda

■ 10:00 - 15:00 | Arrival of Delegates & Check-in at Skopje Marriott Hotel

■ 19:00 - 22:00 | Welcome Cocktail Reception at Hotel

■ 08:30 - 09:00 | Registration of Participants

■ 09:00 - 09:45 | Opening Remarks

■ 09:45 - 10:15 | Group Photo & Meet and Greet (coffee break)

■ 10:15 - 12:15 | First Session: Public Confidence in the Judiciary

Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe North Macedonia | June 22-23, 2026

Day 1: Sunday, June 21, 2026

Day 2: Monday, June 22, 2026

Mr. Afrim Fidani, President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Macedonia Mr. Aleksandar Kambovski, President of the Judicial Council of the Republic of North Macedonia

Mr. David Campbell, Senior District Judge, Chair of the International Judicial Relations Committee, USA Mr. Robert R. Strang, Executive Director of CEELI Institute Mr. Grzegorz Borkowski, EU Support for Rule of Law Project

o Moderator/ speaker 1: Afrim Fidani, President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Macedonia

o Moderator/speaker 2: David Campbell, Senior District Judge, Chair of the International Judicial Relations Committee, United States of America

► What is the current level of public trust in the judiciary in your country and what measures have your courts undertaken towards improving the situation?

► What steps are being taken to enhance transparency in judicial proceedings and to promote exemplary judicial conduct? Are court decisions easily accessible to the public? In what format?

► How has digital transformation (e-justice systems, online hearings, publication of decisions) affected transparency and trust?

► What actions by judges have you seen that have undercut public confidence in the judiciary and also what actions by judges can lead to increasing the level of public trust in the judiciary?

► Which other stakeholders or groups (community leaders, legal professionals, media organizations, educational institutions, civil society organizations) in your country can contribute to increasing public trust in the judiciary, and what actions have been taken to engage them?

www.vsrm.mk www.ceeliinstitute.org

Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe North Macedonia | June 22-23, 2026

■ 12:15 - 13:30 | Lunch

■ 13:30 - 15:00 | Second Session: Judicial Independence

■ 15:00 - 15:30 | Coffee Break

■ 15:30 - 17:00 | Third Session: Domestic reception of law from European Courts (Court of Justice of the European Union and European Court of Human Rights)

■ 17:00 - 19:00 | Free time

■ 19:00 - 21:00 | Official Dinner & Cultural Evening

■ 08:30 - 09:00 | Registration of Participants

o Moderator/ speaker 1: Petr Angyalossy, President of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic o Moderator/speaker 2: Valentina Pavlicic, President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro

► What are the most significant current challenges to judicial independence in your country and

what measures are you taking to strengthen and safeguard judicial independence? How does public perception impact judicial independence?

► How do you ensure institutional independence from the other branches of government? To what extent is the judiciary financially independent from the executive branch, including control over budget planning, allocation of resources, and financial management?

► How effective are judicial councils or similar bodies in protecting the judiciary from external influence?

► How do you strike a balance between judicial independence and accountability? Safeguards against arbitrary removal or transfer of judges?

► What has been your experience with judicial vetting processes? What lessons have been learned?

o Moderator/ speaker 1: Mirjana Lazarova Trajkovska PhD, President of the Case Law Department of the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Macedonia and former ECHR judge

o Moderator/speaker 2: Marjeta Švab Širok, Vice President of Supreme Court of Slovenia

► What impact do European-level jurisprudential frameworks have on the work of your national courts? How do you ensure consistent application across different levels of the judiciary?

► How should a Supreme Court balance respect for national sovereignty with the obligation to comply with international and European legal standards?

► Can you identify areas of law most influenced by European jurisprudence? Can you provide specific examples of decisions from European or international courts that have influenced domestic law or judicial practice in your country?

► Discuss a sensitive issue (e.g., migration, freedom of expression) where European rulings had strong domestic impact.

► How do the citizens of your country feel about following European judicial guidance?

Day 3: Tuesday, June 23, 2026

www.vsrm.mk www.ceeliinstitute.org

Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe North Macedonia | June 22-23, 2026

■ 09:00 - 10:30 | Fourth Session: Current and coming uses of AI in judicial proceedings and court administration

■ 10:30 - 11:00 | Coffee Break

■ 11:00 - 12:30 | Fifth Session: Judicial speech on issues of public concern

■ 12:30 - 13:00 | Closing remarks

■ 13:00 - 14:30 | Lunch

■ 14:30 - 15:00 | Preparation time

■ 15:00 - 18:00 | Social event

■ 20:00 - 22:00 | Dinner

■ Morning | Departure of Participants

o Moderator/ speaker 1: Dr hab. Małgorzata Manowska – First President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Poland

o Moderator/speaker 2: Minka Kreho, Acting President of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina

► Are you using or planning to use AI in automating your court procedures? If so, how? ► Is AI being used in drafting court decisions? ► Is AI useful in terms of reducing trial-court backlogs and delays? ► Do you have restrictions on attorney use of AI in preparing submission to the courts? ► How can AI be used to increase access to justice by the citizens of your country, especially self-

represented litigants? ► Are you revising evidence rules to deal with “deep fakes” and other AI-generated evidence?

o Moderator/ speaker 1: Mimi Furnadjieva, Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Cassation of the Republic of Bulgaria

o Moderator/speaker 2: Lia Savonea - President of the High Court of Cassation and Justice of Romania

► When issues affecting the judiciary become part of public debate, what role should courts —and particularly Chief Justices—play in responding publicly?

► How can courts communicate on issues of public concern while safeguarding judicial impartiality and avoiding the perception that judges are entering political debates?

► When judicial decisions are publicly criticized or misrepresented, what is the most appropriate institutional response from courts?

► How do judges respond to public criticism or high-profile cases? Are there appropriate boundaries for public speech by judges on issues of public concern?

► ⁠Do your courts have communication strategies, spokespersons, or protocols for addressing sensitive public issues? What has worked well and what challenges remain?

► If you could recommend one practical step Supreme Courts/courts in the CEE region could take to improve how they communicate on issues of public concern, what would it be?

Day 4: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Dokumendiregister	Riigikohus
Viit	7-8/26-54-2
Registreeritud	05.05.2026
Sünkroonitud	06.05.2026
Liik	Sissetulev kiri
Funktsioon	7 Juhtimine
Sari	7-8 Riigikohtu esimehe kirjavahetus välisriikide kõrgemate kohtute ja rahvusvaheliste organisatsioonidega
Toimik	7-8/2026
Juurdepääsupiirang	Avalik
Juurdepääsupiirang
Adressaat	Supreme Court of the Republic of North Macedonia
Saabumis/saatmisviis	Supreme Court of the Republic of North Macedonia
Vastutaja	Karin Leichter-Tammisto (Riigikohus, Juhtkond)
Originaal	Ava uues aknas

Failid

Seosed