National Endowment for Democracy
Grants >> Grantee Spotlight: Judges' Web
Central and Eastern Europe
2004 Central and Eastern Europe Program Descriptions:
Albania
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Kosovo
Macedonia
Moldova
Montenegro
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Serbia
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As Croatia continues its transition to a full-fledged democracy, increasing public confidence in its democratic institutions is crucial. Currently, the judicial system is inefficient and lacks transparency, especially at the county and municipal levels, where judges cannot obtain accurate and current legal information. Also, due to the limited communication and information exchange between courts, the adjudication process lacks consistency because judges do not have easy access to their colleagues' opinions or decisions.

Juges Web Judges' Web was established in August 1999 with the mission of developing an information system to improve the transparency and efficiency of Croatia's judicial system. Upon completion of a year-long study, an online searchable database of judicial rulings was launched in May 2001. By the end of 2004, the database had grown to include over 4,200 verdicts from courts throughout the country.

Judges are asked to submit their rulings to Judges' Web where a team of legal experts analyzes the information and categorizes the data by criminal, civil and commercial cases; they then edit the decisions, removing all names and other personal information from the files. Each ruling is then archived according to the law or ordinance under which the decision applies. If a decision changes after an appeal, the updated information is added to the database.

In 2004, NED support helped Judges' Web increase the number of court decisions entered into its database and extend its services to 95% of all municipal and county level courts in Croatia. This comprehensive database, which is accessible through a website where any interested judge can register free-of-charge, allows judges to quickly access other rulings, thereby allowing them to take into account legal precedents when making their own decisions.

Throughout the year, the Judge's Web database has been expanding in both quantity and quality. Some of the most well-known and respected judges in Croatia have contributed their deliberations and opinions to the database system. The program continues to grow, and Judges Web has now introduced a new feature to the website where legal professionals can comment on case law.

This program has helped increase the transparency and accountability of Croatia's judicial system, as well as citizens' confidence in the country's judicial process. Judges' Web is considered one of the most effective nongovernmental implementers of judicial reform in Croatia, and its efforts have been recognized and praised by the Croatian Ministry of Justice, the World Bank, and the European Union.

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