On 14 November 2017, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY or Tribunal) was presented with the first Justice Administration Excellence Award by the International Institute for Justice Excellence (IIJE).
During a ceremony marking the IIJE’s official launch in The Hague, which took place in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace and was attended by eminent jurists and members of the diplomatic community, the Tribunal was honoured for its significant contributions to the field of Justice Administration. Specifically, the Tribunal was recognized for its contributions to the advancement of information management technology, electronic records management, the broadcasting approach of trials on the internet, victim-witness protection methods, court governance, transcript production, and evidence preservation systems, among others.
President Carmel Agius accepted the Award on behalf of the ICTY and was introduced by Registrar John Hocking, who recalled how the President has embodied both justice and excellence throughout his career and inspired others to live up to these commitments.
In his Keynote address, President Agius thanked the IIJE, noting that: “It is an award that speaks to the ICTY’s lifetime achievements over 24 years of operation. This award is also an acknowledgement of its Judges, Principals, and staff members, past and present, who have excelled in the performance of their duties, as well as promoted accountability and inspired excellence in others.”
Established in October 2017, the IIJE’s mission is to improve access to justice globally through its role as a non-political, non-profit, international institution dedicated to developing a collaborative approach to the administration of justice. In particular the IIJE will undertake and promote research and education on justice access and administration issues, as well as the dissemination of international best practices and procedure related to the fields of court management and justice administration more broadly.
