Marta Mochulska, a member of the Pro Justice Center, shared her interesting impressions of the Kaunas Regional Court during a working visit to Lithuania:
Number of employees: The court staff is 3.5 times larger than the number of judges, which ensures efficient organization of work. In particular, the staff includes interpreters.
Work with children: children are interrogated not by a judge, but by a psychologist in a specially equipped room with toys. The judge observes the process through a camera, giving instructions to the psychologist.
Technical equipment: courtrooms are equipped with advanced technical means. For example, a judge can listen to speeches of individuals recorded through individual microphones. If there are many participants, several rooms are used simultaneously.
Promptness of cases: the court considers it unacceptable to delay cases for more than a year. In such cases, the chairman of the court investigates the reasons for the delays.
Professional ethics: lawyers and prosecutors must wear robes during court hearings. They also have separate rooms in the court.
The interior of the court is noteworthy: it is atypical, but makes a pleasant impression, emphasizing the importance of the atmosphere in the administration of justice.
Such approaches to the organization of justice demonstrate a desire for innovation, efficiency and due attention to the participants in the process.
The Pro Justice Center continues to monitor progressive practices in the field of justice in order to use them to improve the Ukrainian judicial system.
