The UIHJ took part on 3 and 4 December 2018 in the 31st Plenary Meeting of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg (France), where Ramin Gurbanov (Azerbaijan) was elected new President of the CEPEJ
The UIHJ was represented by Mathieu Chardon, 1st Vice-President, Sue Collins, member of the bureau, and Patrick Gielen, advisor to the president and member of the Innovation Team.
Among the many points on the agenda was the adoption of a European Ethical Charter on the use of artificial intelligence in European judicial systems. The draft charter was presented by Joao Arsenio de Oliveira, Chair of the CEPEJ Working Group on the Quality of Justice (CEPEJ-GT-QUAL). This charter includes five ethical principles:
– Principle of respect for the fundamental rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights;
– Principle of non-discrimination;
– Principe of quality and security;
– Principe of transparency, impartiality and honesty;
– Principe of control by the user.
It also includes four appendices:
– In-depth study on the use of artificial intelligence in European judicial systems;
– What uses of artificial intelligence in European judicial systems;
– Glossary ;
– Checklist for integrating charter principles into your treatment methods.
The Charter was adopted unanimously. This is a fundamental document, the first of its kind. The UIHJ welcomes this text which it intends to promote. It should be reminded that the UIHJ participates in the GT-QUAL as observer member and has participated in the work of the CEPEJ-GT-QUAL, particularly at the meeting from 25 to 27 September 2018 in Riga (Latvia).
The GT-QUAL presented the ongoing work on a Guide on communication with the media and the public for courts and prosecution authorities. The GT-QUAL also emphasized the importance of supporting the implementation of the Cyberjustice Guidelines.
Mathieu Chardon recalled that in 2014, the UIHJ and the CEPEJ jointly organised the 1st World Forum on Enforcement at the Council of Europe headquarters on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the CEPEJ Guidelines on enforcement of the court decisions of 17 December 2009. He renewed to the members of the CEPEJ the proposal of the UIHJ to organize jointly with the CEPEJ in December 2019 the 2nd World Forum on Enforcement on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Guidelines on enforcement execution. Patrick Gielen added that the Forum would focus on artificial intelligence at the service of enforcement. The CEPEJ took note with interest of this proposal.
At the end of the meeting, the renewal of the CEPEJ office was carried out for the years 2019 and 2020. The following were elected:
– Président : Ramin Gurbanov (Azerbaijan)
– Vice-président : Ivana Borzova (Czech Republic)
– Membres : Laetitia Brunin (France), Francesco Depasquale (Malta)
The UIHJ extends its warmest thanks to the outgoing President, Georg Stawa, for the outstanding work he has done during all the years he has spent at the CEPEJ and the excellent relations shared with him. The UIHJ congratulates the new board of the CEPEJ and its president, Ramin Gurbanov, wishes him every success and looks forward to continuing its collaboration with the CEPEJ.
