Measurement of users' satisfaction regarding communication at court (oral and written)

YES / NO

1.

Is the court user’s satisfaction with judiciary periodically measured?

2.

Are in those surveys special  questions about judge's language at the hearings and preliminary hearings (is the language simple and clear or is it too scientific/legal, technical or artistic)?

3.

Are in those surveys special questions about language used in court decisions (is it simple and clear or is it too scientific/legal, technical or artistic)?

Special recommendations and training regarding use of simple and clear language at the court hearings and preliminary hearings or other dealings with court users

4.

Do you have any special manuals, guidelines or recommendations regarding communication with litigants at the court hearings, preliminary hearings or other dealings with court users (on reception desk, ADR proceedings, etc.)?

If the answer is Yes, please, describe its content (max 100 words) and, if possible, send us the document.

5.

Is there any training on communication with litigants for judges (rhetoric, use of non scientific language, psychological issues, dealing with the angry persons/overly emotional persons, etc.)?

If yes, please describe the content (max 100 words)

6.

Is there any training on communication with litigants for court staff (rhetoric, use of non-scientific language, psychological issues, dealing with angry/overly emotional persons etc.)?

If yes, please describe the content (max 100 words)

Special recommendations and training regarding use of simple and clear language in court decisions and other writings of the court (invitations letter etc.)

7.

Do court decisions include figures, photographs or other graphic information directly related to the case?

8.

Do you have any special manuals, guidelines recommendations regarding the quality standard of the judge’s decision’s writing?

If the answer is Yes, please, describe its content (max 100 words) and, if possible, send us the document.

9.

Do you have any special manuals, guidelines recommendations regarding the quality standard of other court writings (non-final judge’s decisions, invitation letters, etc.)?

If the answer is Yes, please, describe its content (max 100 words) and, if possible, send us the document.

10.

Are there any trainings on writing judge’s decisions?

(structure of the decision, use of plain and easily understandable language, short sentences, grammar, etc.)

If yes, please, describe the content (max 100 words).

Judicial decision's structure, templates, design and special brochures

11.

Could you please describe the general structure of the final court judgement on the first instance in divorce case with children.

Do you have any special templates? Please describe language which is used and most important contents of the judgement.

12.

Do you have special textual templates for court writings for the trial proceedings (invitation to the hearing or preliminary hearing etc.)?

13.

Do you have special textual templates for court writings for final decision?

14.

If you have special textual templates for court writings, are they unified for all the courts in your country?

15.

If you have special textual templates in simple language, how do you ensure the use of simple language (do you have special board of judges, law clerks, linguistic professional etc..)?

Please describe the procedure (max 100 words).

16.

If you have special textual templates for court writings, do you have any special procedures for alternation if the need for alteration arises?

If yes, could you please describe it (max 100 words).

17.

Do you send litigants or other persons (witnesses, etc.) any special brochures regarding their case (or their role) at the court?

If yes, could you please describe it (max 100 words).

18.

Are the court writings specially designed (colours, fonds of characters, different form of page etc.)  for better conveying the most important message of the court?

If yes, could you please describe it (max 100 words) and send us an example of one typical writing ?

Evaluation of judges

19.

Are the judge’s communication skills periodically evaluated?

If yes, could you please precise by whom and describe the criterion of the evaluation (max 100 words)?

20.

Are the judge’s writing skills periodically evaluated?

If yes, could you please precise by whom and describe the criterion of the evaluation (max 100 words)?

Best practices

21.

Do you have an e-platform of judicial decisions for public?

22.

Do you have any other tools for clear and simple communication with litigants?

If yes, please describe it (max 250 words) and send any documents regarding it. 

23.

Why were these tools adopted?[1] (max 100 words)

24.

How have you adopted, implemented and executed these tools? (max 100 words)

E.g. Which conditions had to be in place and what resources (people, time, money) had to be acquired before these tools could be introduced? How much time was needed to implement the tools? Was there any resistance to the introduction of the practice, and if so, how did you tackle this?[2]

25.

What results have been achieved so far by using this practice (max 200 words)?[3]

26.

Your general observations regarding clear and simple communication with litigants and other court users.

E.g. Do you think this is an important topic for judiciary? If yes, why? What are the main obstacles which prevent judiciary from using plain language? Etc. (max 250 words)