On 9 and 10 March 2021, IRZ organised an online seminar in partnership with the Judicial Council and the Judicial Institute of Jordan. The event was financed by the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV) and was aimed at high-ranking Jordanian judges in the field of administrative jurisdiction.
During the seminar, the participants had the opportunity to acquire expertise in court proceedings for the repeal of administrative decisions and the processing of administrative claims, or to expand the knowledge they already have in this area, with the aim of using their newly acquired skills in their legal practice.
IRZ Head of Section Sidi Mohamed Khairy welcomed the participants on behalf of IRZ. He emphasised the significance of the cooperation between Germany and Jordan in the area of administrative jurisdiction. Majid Ghobari, a judge at the Supreme Administrative Court of Jordan, was very positive about the renewed partnership with IRZ in his opening speech. The Judicial Council and the Judicial Institute of Jordan worked hand in hand on the planned new reforms of administrative jurisdiction. Events organised with IRZ provided the Jordanian partners with valuable information and ideas from legal practice in Germany.
Two recognised experts were appointed by IRZ to take part in the two-day event. They were Volker Ellenberger, President of the Higher Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg, and Stefan Schulte, a judge at the Administrative Court of Arnsberg.
They gave lectures on the following topics, for which they also presented case examples:
The meaning and purpose of the administrative act
Elements of the administrative act
Retraction and withdrawal of the administrative act
Enforcement of the administrative act
The structure and formulation of a court ruling in an administrative claim
The process of administrative court proceedings
The Jordanian participants made the most of the lectures to have lively discussions and an intense exchange of experiences with the German experts. In view of the ongoing requirements of their Jordanian partners, IRZ plans to offer further events on the subject of administrative jurisdiction throughout the year.
Alongside the Jordanian Ministry of Justice, IRZ organised an online exchange of experiences on “International legal Assistance in criminal Cases”, which took place on 7 December 2020.
When it comes to international legal assistance, a close and trusting exchange between the individual states and the relevant national authorities is essential. To this end, IRZ organised this exchange of experiences in cooperation with the Jordanian Ministry of Justice, with representatives from the Judicial Council and the Jordanian international police department also taking part.
The event was led by Sidi Khairy, IRZ Head of Section. Dr. Hasan Abdallat, a judge and Deputy Director General of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Amman, was the Jordanian expert at this event. He reported in detail on the legal framework for international legal assistance, extradition processes and national efforts to improve the flow of information at national and international level by making advances in digitalisation, thereby making the international prosecution of offences more efficient.
The IRZ speakers at the event were:
Dr. Ralf Riegel, Head of the International criminal law and cooperation in extradition and enforcement division at the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV)
Solveig Volquardsen, public prosecutor and desk officer at the BMJV
Urs Wäckerlin, a local court judge and desk officer at the BMJV
Tobias Lübbert, Senior Public Prosecutor at the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office
As well as the legal basis for international legal assistance, the procedure for extradition processes was also presented. The complex issues of minor legal assistance and asset recovery were another focus of the exchange of experiences.
During the discussions at this event, it soon became clear that the Jordanian authorities are extremely interested in this subject and still have a requirement to maintain international links in this area and to learn from examples of best practices. IRZ therefore aims to continue the in-depth cooperation in this area next year as well.
The event was financed by the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV).
From 2 to 12 November 2020, IRZ organised an online mediation training course for Jordanian judges, in partnership with the Judicial Institute of Jordan. During a total of six online sessions, the participants were informed about the basics of mediation and non-violent communication as instruments for resolving conflicts.
The training course was led by IRZ expert, mediator and lawyer Martin Michaelis. He has spent many years working as a trainer and mediator for many international organisations. Martin Michaelis also acts as a mediator in political armed conflicts. During this training course, he drew on a number of exercises, practical examples and discussions to work on the following topics with the participants:
What does mediation mean and what are the stages of mediation?
The principles and basics of mediation
The difference between interests, needs, motives and feelings and their role in disputes and conflicts
The role and attitude of the mediator
Non-violent communication
Conflict resolution
Whilst judicial mediation is practised in Jordan, judges are not required to provide evidence of any mediation training, unlike in Germany. A basic understanding of mediation in Jordan is therefore of social and cultural importance, whereas a structural approach with consideration for specific skills is rare. This means that many civil disputes must continue to be resolved before the courts, which leads to an additional burden for judges.
The online training session provided the basis for a structured mediation process, which will need to be further developed in future. The active participation of the judges in the practical exercises and the open discussion of their views on the content of the training session reflected the importance of this subject for practising judges in Jordan and shows that it should be developed further.
The event was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV).
