Jordan

The investigation process and its special features in cases of human trafficking and money laundering

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Published: September 8, 2023
Training of trainers on the investigation process and its special features in cases of human trafficking and money laundering with participants from the Jordanian Judicial Council and the Directorate for National Security.
Training of trainers on the investigation process and its special features in cases of human trafficking and money laundering with participants from the Jordanian Judicial Council and the Directorate for National Security.
Jordan

The two-day training of trainers on “The investigation process and its special features in cases of human trafficking and money laundering” was held in Amman on 4-5 July, 2023 as part of the project “Increasing Efficiency in Criminal Proceedings”, which the IRZ is implementing with the Jordanian Ministry of Justice and the Jordanian Judicial Council. The seminar is part of the project “Promotion of Legal Certainty: Support for Criminal Law Reforms in Jordan (2020-2023)” funded by the Federal Foreign Office.

Jordan is pursuing a strategic plan up to 2026 which, among others, aims to create a transparent and more efficient criminal court system. Mr. Qais Al-Ghazawi, judge at the Zarqa Court, kicked the seminar off by highlighting the great interest shown by the Jordanian partners and the importance of a close working relationship.

On the first day, the focus of the two-day training of trainers was on the specifics of the investigation process in human trafficking cases. Judge Dr. Thaer Nassar, Public Prosecutor in Amman, gave an insight into the structure and procedure of the investigation process in Jordan. He paid particular attention to the structure of the cooperation between the Public Prosecutor's Office, the court police and the Directorate of Public Security. Gunnar Schenk, Chief Detective at the Berlin State Criminal Police Office (LKA) and Deputy Head of the processing and combating of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation to the detriment of minors, provided an insight into the German design of the investigation process and the approach to such cases. In his lecture, he used case studies to present German best practice models in the investigation process of human trafficking cases. Jordan and Germany face similar challenges in the combat against human trafficking. The biggest difference, however, lies in the approach to the investigation process, as the structure in Germany places an emphasis on cooperation between the police and the Public Prosecutor's Office, whereby the police have the power to initiate investigations if suspicion arises. In Jordan, however, the Code of Criminal Procedure does not stipulate an initiative in police investigations, as this is the responsibility of the Public Prosecutor's Office.

The second day explored the structure and procedure in the investigation process in corruption and money laundering cases. Dr. Peter Schneiderhan, lawyer and retired Senior Public Prosecutor, gave an insight into the practices of a Public Prosecutor, and Dr. Thaer Nassar used ongoing case studies to address the current difficulties of criminal prosecution. This provoked some useful exchanges, as participants could report their experiences with similar challenges in a targeted manner.

The event will be followed by additional measures during the year, such as a trip to Berlin from a delegation and a further exchange of experiences to tie in with the issues and challenges within the framework of the training of trainers regarding the investigation process.

The IRZ would like to thank the experts and participants of the Jordanian Judicial Council for the efficient exchange of experiences and the successful cooperation, and is looking forward to further seminars.

IRZ organises the kick-off workshop “Investment Climate” in Amman

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Published: July 11, 2023
Kick-off event in Amman on issues around the investment climate and the improvement of the legal framework with the Jordanian Ministry of Investment.
Kick-off event in Amman on issues around the investment climate and the improvement of the legal framework with the Jordanian Ministry of Investment.
Jordan

IRZ launched its cooperation with the Jordanian Ministry of Investment with an initial exchange of experiences on issues relating to the investment climate and the improvement of the legal framework on 10 May 2023 in Amman. The background to the cooperation is the Jordanian government’s aim to position the country as a stronger economy by 2030 and thus make it more attractive for foreign investors.

The Jordanian government has already taken the first steps to achieve this aim, as pointed out by Mr. Zaher Al-Qatarneh, Secretary General of the Jordanian Ministry of Investment in his opening speech. The measures include the formation of the Jordanian Ministry of Investment, which now bundles all the services relating to investments, and the new law regulating the legal framework for investments in Jordan, which came into force on 14 January 2023. Among others, this should create incentives and legal security for foreign investors and attract investments totalling 41 million Jordanian dinars into the country.

The IRZ expert, Dr. Christian Steiner, lawyer and managing partner of Ule & Steiner SLP gave an insight into the experiences in the Middle East and North Africa from a legal perspective. Many countries in the region have set themselves the goal of becoming more attractive to foreign investors. It is therefore essential to analyse how other countries position themselves and what incentives - such as attractive legal framework conditions, tax breaks, financial aid, exemptions from duty and free movement of services - are offered to foreign investors. However, Dr. Steiner emphasised that location factors also play a major role in investments. The national infrastructure, the stability of the political situation and security in general and legal certainty in particular are relevant aspects for investors.

Ms. Mays Khleifat, Head of the Directorate for Legal Affairs, rounded off the kick-off event with a presentation on various forms of capital investment in Jordan. She emphasised that while Jordan aims to attract more foreign investors, it also wants to encourage domestic investment. The Ministry of Investment would like to create targeted incentives for foreign investors to cooperate with domestic partners on certain projects. The new framework conditions protect the ownership rights of the Jordanian partner to counter any potential imbalance.

IRZ would like to thank Mays Khleifat, Dr. Christian Steiner and the participants for the committed and goal-oriented exchange and is looking forward to further cooperation with the Jordanian Ministry of Investment.

Exchange of experiences in Amman on Administrative Procedures

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Published: July 11, 2023
Exchange of experiences in Amman on the subject of Administrative Procedures and their Decision-Making Processes with the judges of the Jordanian Administrative Court.
Exchange of experiences in Amman on the subject of Administrative Procedures and their Decision-Making Processes with the judges of the Jordanian Administrative Court.
Jordan

IRZ organised an exchange of experiences on the subject of “Administrative Procedures and their Decision-Making Processes” in cooperation with the Jordanian Judicial Council and the Jordanian Judicial Academy on 11 May 2023 in Amman. The Federal Ministry of Justice financed the event, which was aimed at high-ranking Jordanian judges in the area of the Administrative Court jurisdiction. The common objective of the exchange of experiences was to contribute to an improvement in the quality of the administration of justice in Jordan.

Dr. Hisham Mufdi Salem Al-Majali, Judge of the Administrative Court, reported on the types, structure and design of the administrative procedure.

On behalf of IRZ, Mr. Stefan Schulte, Judge at the Administrative Court in Arnsberg, provided some insights into the German structure of the administrative procedure. He outlined the basic principles of German procedural law, the types of administration and the structure of the general (non-public) administrative procedure.

In the second part of the event, Mr. Schulte explained the decision in the administrative procedure. He not only explained the administrative act and its legal consequences, but also the issuance of general decrees, i.e. an administrative act that is aimed at a group of people who are or can be determined based on their general characteristics within the meaning of § 35 sentence 2 VwVfG (Administrative Procedure Act). This form of administrative act played a particularly important role during the pandemic.

The President of the Jordanian Administrative Court, Dr. Ali Rashid Hamid Abu Hajila rounded off the exchange of experiences with an insight into the Jordanian design of the administrative act and Jordanian administrative court procedure law.

The Jordanian participants used the specialist lectures for lively discussions and an intensive exchange of experiences. IRZ thanked the experts and participants for the successful event and is looking forward to continuing the excellent cooperation with the Jordanian Judicial Academy and the Judicial Council.