Study trip to Berlin by a Jordanian delegation to discuss “Increasing efficiency in criminal proceedings”

Details: Published: December 6, 2023

Delegation participants and Facility Director Ms. Anke Stein during the visit to the Moabit correctional facility.

Jordan

Increasing efficiency in criminal proceedings was the focus of a study trip that the IRZ carried out in cooperation with the Jordanian Ministry of Justice and the Jordanian Judicial Council. The event enabled the participants to gain a deeper insight into German criminal proceedings. The trip is part of the project funded by the Federal Foreign Office entitled “Promotion of Legal Certainty: Support for Criminal Law Reforms in Jordan (2020-2023)”.

The Jordanian delegation consisted of representatives from the Jordanian Ministry of Justice, the Judicial Council and the Directorate of National Security, and was headed by His Excellency the Secretary General of the Jordanian Ministry of Justice, Dr. Saad Al Louzi, who came to Berlin from 18-22 September 2023 to visit various German judicial institutions and judicial authorities. The delegation was welcomed on the first day by a representative from the Jordanian Embassy in Berlin and the IRZ General Director, Dr. Frauke Bachler.

Sub-department Head Dr. Sebastian Jeckel received the delegation At the Federal Ministry of Justice. Speakers from the RB2 Department for Criminal Procedure gave insights into current comprehensive reform processes in the criminal justice system, particularly in the area of digitalisation.

The participants also visited the Tiergarten Local Court and learned about the “court structure”, “court procedures”, “specialisation of criminal judges”, and exchanged views on the current challenges in criminal courts.

The schedule was rounded off by a visit to the social services of the Senate Department for Justice and Consumer Protection. The focus here was to discuss court and probation services. The topic of alternative punishments was of particular interest to the Jordanian delegation, as alternative punishments are being increasingly used in Jordan to relieve the overcrowding in prisons. In addition, the visit to the Moabit correctional facility gave the participants an insight into the structure of pre-trial detention and how to deal with overcrowding. The delegation also had an opportunity to gain an insight into the prison cells, exercise yard and the communal areas.

The study trip concluded with an expert talk on the working methods and areas of responsibility of the German Federal Bar (BRAK). In this context, the BRAK explained the competencies of a criminal and public defender.

Two further measures during the year will build on the content explored in the study trip.

The IRZ would like to thank the German institutions and authorities for the friendly and instructive reception and thanks the delegation participants for the goal-oriented exchange and successful cooperation, and is looking forward to future seminars.