Shtërpcë/Štrpce residents now have a renovated court, as part of broader moves to improve access to justice.

The Shtërpcë/Štrpce Branch Court was inaugurated last week, after receiving lifts to both the interior and exterior of the building, including new paintwork, insulation and connection to the city sewerage network.

 Supervising Judge Alban Beqiri said the court had been a success story of judicial integration in Kosovo and the high quality of renovation would be welcomed by staff and residents alike.

 “This renovation will only contribute to the harmonious work of its multi-ethnic staff.”

 The five-judge court, which processes more than 1600 cases each year, is composed of three Kosovo-Serbian judges one Kosovo-Albanian judge, and one Kosovo Bosniak judge, as well as 25 multi-ethnic  administrative personnel.

 The court was inaugurated by a number of officials, including Ferizaj/Uroševac Basic Court President Mustaf Tahiri, Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) Executive Director Shkelzen Maliqi, and Chief of the UN Mission in Kosovo’s Justice and Correction Section Andrea Lako.

 Mr Maliqi said the renovation, supported by UNMIK, was a continuation of support from the mission over the years.

“[The mission] has and continues to improve both the delivery and access to justice for all communities.”

UNMIK has helped Kosovo's judiciary improve its translation, archiving, and case management capacities over recent years, amongst other support provided.

Mr Lako commended the KJC for its significant role in preserving and enhancing the independence of the judicial system in Kosovo and expressed UNMIK’s support for all efforts to improve access to justice.

“The state of court infrastructure can have a massive impact on the quality of the delivery of justice and I am happy that the UN Mission was able to help improve that infrastructure in Shtërpcë/Štrpce.”