Albania

The role of the notary’s office in combating money laundering

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Published: February 27, 2023
Attendees at the expert seminar on the “Role of the notary's office in preventing and combating money laundering” held on 16 November 2022 in Tirana.
Albania

IRZ organised an expert seminar followed by a panel discussion on the “Role of the notary's office in preventing and combating money laundering” with the Federal Chamber of Notaries, the National Chamber of Notaries of Albania and the Albanian General Directorate for Combating Money Laundering in Tirana on 16 November 2022. The event followed on from an online seminar from the previous year and the work that had been started between the Federal Chamber of Notaries and the National Chamber of Notaries of Albania.

Expert seminar “Combating money laundering in notarial practice”: typology, obligations and a practical implementation

An expert seminar was held on the morning of 16 November at the premises of the Albanian Chamber of Notaries in Tirana, attended by approx. 30 Albanian notaries. The participants were welcomed by Mr. Richard Bock, Judicial Councillor and General Plenipotentiary of the Federal Chamber of Notaries for International Affairs, Mr. Fatmir Lacej, Vice-President of the National Chamber of Notaries of Albania and Mr. Frank Hupfeld, Head of the Project Area South East Europe II and South Caucasus of IRZ. The event kicked off when the representatives of the Directorate General for Money Laundering presented current developments and challenges in the fight against money laundering in Albania; they stressed the importance of the obligation to report on the part of notaries. Dr Lovro Tomasic, General Plenipotentiary of the Federal Chamber of Notaries for International Affairs then gave a presentation. The role of the notary's office was presented using actual case studies along with the principles of the scope of application of the Money Laundering Act. Dr Tomasic also responded to the question of a general risk analysis for the notary's office and its due diligence and reporting obligations.

Panel discussion in the Albanian Ministry of Justice

Following the expert seminar for Albanian notaries, a public panel discussion was held in the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Albania, attended by over 170 representatives of central institutions for fighting money laundering in Albania. The event was opened by Ms. Mimoza Sadushaj, President of the Albanian Chamber of Notaries, Mr. Jens Bormann, President of the Federal Chamber of Notaries, Mr. Andi Përmeti, Section Head of the Department for Liberal Professions in the Albanian Ministry of Justice, SE. Mr. Peter Zingraf, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Albania and Mr. Frank Hupfeld. The panel discussion started with keynote speeches by Ms. Sadushaj, Dr Tomasic and Mr. Ervin Koçi, Director of the General Directorate for the Prevention of Money Laundering.

The event promoted the German-Albanian exchange of expertise and experience and the networking of relevant actors in the fight against money laundering with the Albanian notary's office.

Meeting with the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Albania

The exchange of expertise and experience was rounded off on the following day with a meeting with Mr Ulsi Manja, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Albania, with the participation of the Federal Chamber of Notaries, the National Chamber of Notaries of Albania, the German Ambassador and the IRZ.

Expert exchange with the Albanian Supreme Court on “International legal assistance in criminal matters”

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Published: February 27, 2023
Participants of the expert exchange in Tirana on “International legal assistance in criminal matters” held on 24 October 2022.
Participants of the expert exchange in Tirana on “International legal assistance in criminal matters” held on 24 October 2022.
Albania

As part of the close and long-standing cooperation between IRZ and the Supreme Court of Albania, IRZ is organizing an expert exchange in Tirana on October 24, 2022 on the subject of “international legal assistance in criminal matters”. Approx. 30 participants attended the event, including the judges and academic staff of the Albanian Supreme Court.

During the expert lectures, case studies and interactive discussion rounds, Dr Stefan Trunk, Senior Public Prosecutor from Duisburg and Mr. Michael Bolz, Senior Public Prosecutor from Frankfurt am Main, a comprehensive insight into the legal basis and practice in the field of international legal assistance in criminal matters.

The experts presented the basic rules of legal assistance outside and inside the European Union and compared extradition outside the European Union and the European arrest warrant. The participants discussed important issues around execution of sentences, imprisonment, fines, asset confiscation and other sanctions outside and inside the European Union.

The event is part of a series of expert talks and study trips in cooperation with the Supreme Court of Albania, which the IRZ implemented in 2021 and 2022 as part of a project funded by the Federal Foreign Office on the subject of “court organisation”.

Strengthening of effective and efficient administrative jurisdiction – reception by State Secretary for Justice Dr Daniela Brückner

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Published: February 27, 2023
First row (from left to right): Naureda Llagami, President of the Supreme Judicial Council of the Republic of Albania and Dr Daniela Brückner, State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
First row (from left to right): Naureda Llagami, President of the Supreme Judicial Council of the Republic of Albania and Dr Daniela Brückner, State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Albania

A three-day study trip by the IRZ led a delegation from the Supreme Judicial Council of the Republic of Albania to benchmarking in Germany.

The three-day study trip led by the President of the Supreme Judicial Council of Albania, Naureda Llagami, gave the representatives of the Supreme Judicial Council and the administrative judges who accompanied them an insight into the practical work of German administrative court jurisdiction and the administration of justice.

The Albanian delegation discussed organisational, personnel and infrastructural issues with German colleagues in Aachen, Düsseldorf and Münster from 26-30 September 2022.

The delegation assembled at the Aachen Administrative Court to learn more about the structure and procedural features of administrative jurisdiction and the training of judges in Germany (degree and legal clerkship) and also took part in two meetings of the court.

The State Secretary, Dr Daniela Brückner received the participants in the Ministry of Justice of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. The technical discussions that followed focused on the structure and tasks of the judiciary in Germany, the principles of personnel administration for judges in North Rhine-Westphalia and disciplinary proceedings against judges.

The delegation members took part in another oral hearing on the judicial review procedure at the Higher Administrative Court in Münster and held technical discussions about further training for judges as a means of quality assurance, the recruitment procedure for the judicial service and efficient work in the judiciary of second instance.

Lastly, expert talks at the Düsseldorf Administrative Court explored the topics of personnel management and assessment practice at an administrative court, effective process management and further training.

The Federal Foreign Office supported the study trip as part of a project funding on the subject of “court organisation”.

The IRZ is planning further events as part of this project in 2022.