Greetings to EuropeGreetings to Europe! ! Magistrates and Employees Magistrates and Employees of the Administrative Courtof the Administrative Court

– – YambolYambol

Our participation in the Our participation in the ““Crystal Crystal Scales of JusticeScales of Justice” ” competition is competition is our appeal to all the judges and our appeal to all the judges and

court officials throughout court officials throughout EuropeEurope: : Let’s speak in Let’s speak in

understandable and accessible understandable and accessible language with people, because language with people, because all European citizens are equal all European citizens are equal before the Law, but not all of before the Law, but not all of

them are equal before the them are equal before the Language!Language!

Welcome in the offices of the Welcome in the offices of the Administrative Court - Yambol and Administrative Court - Yambol and

on our websiteon our website!!http://yambolas.court-bg.orghttp://yambolas.court-bg.org

We do believeWe do believe, , that anyone who visits that anyone who visits our offices or our website will stay our offices or our website will stay

assured that our appeal for assured that our appeal for understandable and accessible understandable and accessible

language of the judicial system is language of the judicial system is genuinegenuine!!

The participation of the The participation of the Administrative CourtAdministrative Court - - Yambol in Yambol in

the the ““Crystal Scales of JusticeCrystal Scales of Justice” ” competition competition organised by the organised by the European Commission and the European Commission and the

Council of Europe Council of Europe is an appeal to all is an appeal to all the judges and court officials the judges and court officials throughout Europe to start throughout Europe to start

speaking the same language with speaking the same language with all the citizensall the citizens. .

Therefore the title of our Therefore the title of our ProjectProject::

“ Everyone is Equal Before “ Everyone is Equal Before the Law, but Not Everyone is the Law, but Not Everyone is Equal before the Language! Equal before the Language!

Understandable and Understandable and Accessible Court Information Accessible Court Information

for the Citizens!for the Citizens!

The Administrative CourtThe Administrative Court – – Yambol Yambol initiatives in this project call for initiatives in this project call for

magistrates and court officials to magistrates and court officials to start speaking to the citizens in start speaking to the citizens in understandable and accessible understandable and accessible

languagelanguage. . The complicated judicial The complicated judicial language issue is common not only language issue is common not only

for the administrative courts in for the administrative courts in BulgariaBulgaria, , but also for the whole but also for the whole

judicial system throughout Europejudicial system throughout Europe. .

Once we identified the target, we Once we identified the target, we determined the target groups. The main determined the target groups. The main

mediators between the court and the mediators between the court and the citizens being the media, they were put in citizens being the media, they were put in

the first target group. the first target group. Parallel to this, as implementation of the Parallel to this, as implementation of the

“Yambol Administrative Court Human “Yambol Administrative Court Human Resources Management Strategy” and Resources Management Strategy” and

with the consent of the Supreme Judicial with the consent of the Supreme Judicial Council our Court employed a full-time PR Council our Court employed a full-time PR

Specialist.Specialist.

We drafted “Work with the Media We drafted “Work with the Media Procedures”, Procedures”,

“The Media Information Strategy of the “The Media Information Strategy of the Yambol Administrative Court”, and Yambol Administrative Court”, and “The Plan of Work with the Media”“The Plan of Work with the Media”

  The second large primary target The second large primary target group, at which we aimed our group, at which we aimed our

efforts, was the one of the efforts, was the one of the citizenscitizens. . Within this group we Within this group we paid special attention to the paid special attention to the

disabled people and the young disabled people and the young people interested in law studiespeople interested in law studies. .

We set clear rules for the establishment of We set clear rules for the establishment of transparent management of the court and transparent management of the court and

presentation of understandable presentation of understandable information, and thereupon we continued information, and thereupon we continued

with the outline of an overall PR with the outline of an overall PR Programme of the Administrative Court - Programme of the Administrative Court -

YambolYambol. . The PR Programme was put The PR Programme was put together after the existing and the together after the existing and the

forecast problems were defined, as well as forecast problems were defined, as well as the relevant practices until that moment the relevant practices until that moment

which had ranked the Administrative which had ranked the Administrative Court - Yambol at the position of “The Court - Yambol at the position of “The Only Administrative Model –Court in Only Administrative Model –Court in

Bulgaria” (Bulgaria” (http://yambolas.court-bg.org/uploads/a4.jhttp://yambolas.court-bg.org/uploads/a4.jpgpg

)..)..

The court Management drew up The court Management drew up also a Clients Chart containing the also a Clients Chart containing the

standards of administrative standards of administrative services. This is a document where services. This is a document where

we put in writing our will and we put in writing our will and determination to co-operate with all determination to co-operate with all

the citizens by presenting the the citizens by presenting the administrative services in administrative services in

understandable, accessible and understandable, accessible and precise language. precise language.

http://yambolas.court-bg.orghttp://yambolas.court-bg.org

            

We outlined a few initiatives for We outlined a few initiatives for the disabled people concerning the disabled people concerning the communication with them. the communication with them. These are detailed in the Plan These are detailed in the Plan

for the Improvement of the for the Improvement of the Work in the Administrative Work in the Administrative

Court - Yambol, 2010 – 2013Court - Yambol, 2010 – 2013..

          

EffectsEffects ofof thethe schemescheme::Not a single negative feed-back has been Not a single negative feed-back has been

received until the end of September, received until the end of September, 2010, neither regarding the information 2010, neither regarding the information

quality, nor regarding the overall activity quality, nor regarding the overall activity of the Administrative Court - Yambol. The of the Administrative Court - Yambol. The

two surveys carried out among the two surveys carried out among the citizens assured us that the public citizens assured us that the public opinion of our work was improving.opinion of our work was improving.

This assures us that we are on the right This assures us that we are on the right path and all the courts, not only in path and all the courts, not only in Bulgaria, but also in Europe, may Bulgaria, but also in Europe, may

possibly make use of our experience.possibly make use of our experience.

            

We believe that the plans, We believe that the plans, programmes and strategies programmes and strategies

listed above could be developed listed above could be developed and implemented in the courts and implemented in the courts of all the European countries. of all the European countries.

We are ready to lend a hand to We are ready to lend a hand to anyone who wishes to apply our anyone who wishes to apply our experience as a good practice!experience as a good practice!

The Administrative Court - The Administrative Court - Yambol thanks a lot to the Yambol thanks a lot to the organizers – the European organizers – the European

Commission and the Council of Commission and the Council of Europe! We thank to the Jury for Europe! We thank to the Jury for

their appreciation of our their appreciation of our concern for the good concern for the good

communication between the communication between the judicial system and the citizens.judicial system and the citizens.