European officials discuss judical reform in Istanbul

Modernization of the judiciary is a necessity rather than a luxury, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin told a meeting of his European counterparts in Istanbul yesterday. "A judiciary that fails to make use of modern tools will become ineffective in the fight against both crime and organized crime and will be unable to satisfy the expectations of society," Ergin told the 30th Council of Europe (CoE) Conference of Justice Ministers. Modern, transparent and efficient justice, prisons in Europe, and the protection of personal information are the focal points of the conference, which ends today.