Safeguarding judicial independence during reforms in focus at ODIHR event

Judges and legal experts discussed how to strengthen accountability in justice systems while protecting judicial independence at an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw.

Judicial vetting, which assesses judges’ integrity, is one of the extraordinary measures used to address systemic problems in courts. Such measures need safeguards against political interference and must respect judges’ due process rights, while keeping courts able to hear cases and deliver justice.

“Reforms need to strengthen both the integrity and the independence of the judiciary. Clear criteria and fair procedures are essential to making accountability credible and protecting judges from undue pressure,” said Robert Strang, Executive Director of the Central and Eastern European Law Initiative (CEELI).

Drawing on experiences of extraordinary judicial reforms across the region, and particularly in Albania, Moldova, Ukraine, participants examined when extraordinary measures may be justified and how they relate to established constitutional mechanisms. They also considered how to limit staff shortages and case backlogs during and after reform and how to better communicate these extraordinary measures to the broader public. It has been highlighted that extraordinary reforms of this nature should only be used when absolutely necessary and when ordinary integrity mechanisms have been tried and failed.

The discussion also considered which accountability tools introduced through extraordinary reforms could become part of permanent legal and institutional frameworks, and how the OSCE and other stakeholders can support this process in line with international standards.

The discussion took place as a side event at the 2026 Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.