Annual conference of judges in 2013 - Increase public confidence in the judiciary and the national plan to reduce the backlog

Dr. Mark West, who assisted in drafting the Communications Strategy of the High Court Council, gave a brief lecture about how courts can work to improve public trust and confidence, develop court outreach activities and increase transparency in the judiciary. He was followed by Dr. Albers, who presented SPP's Draft National Backlog Reduction Plan, which calls for an eighty percent reduction of older cases over the next five years, using methods proven effective in SPP partner courts and documented in SPP's Best Practices Guide.

USAID Separation of Powers Program (SPP) assisted the Supreme Court of Cassation organize its annual conference of over 1,000 judges in the central Serbian town of Vrnjacka Banja, from October 6-9. The Conference, which focused on recent developments in court practice and the legal environment, was opened by Minister of Justice Nikola Selakovic and Chief Justice Dragomir Milojevic. Other guests included top diplomats, OSCE Ambassador in Serbia Peter Burkhard and head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade Antje Rothemund.