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).
Alongside the Jordanian Ministry of Justice, IRZ organised an online seminar on “Fighting Corruption” on 13 and 14 October 2020.
The main topics discussed at the event were the prosecution of corruption offences by public prosecutors and criminal courts; preventing corruption, particularly in state and local authorities; and the role of civil society in the fight against corruption. The following topics were also presented and discussed during the seminar:
effective mechanisms for fighting corruption
methods of exposing and investigating corruption offences
the role of the courts in the prevention of corruption crimes and infringements
the legal framework for fighting corruption and prevention concepts
The experts taking part in the event on behalf of IRZ were Wolf-Tilmann Baumert, Senior Public Prosecutor at the Wuppertal Public Prosecutor’s Office, Helmut Leithäuser, Presiding Judge at the Regional Court of Wuppertal and the lawyer Dr Helmut Brocke. They provided the participants with detailed insights into German investigation strategies and prevention concepts, particularly in the area of public administration.
Those taking part from Jordan included representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Judicial Council, the anti-corruption authority, the anti-money laundering unit and the State Security Court. During the discussions, it became clear that the topic of fighting corruption is highly explosive and of great importance to the Jordanian authorities. IRZ therefore aims to continue the cooperation in this area.
This event was supported by the institutional funding provided by the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV).
IRZ expert Dr. Dorothee Weckerling-Wilhelm (centre), head of department at the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, with IRZ head of section, Sidi Mohamed Khairy (left) and IRZ project manager Asma Dhib Jordan
On 5, 7 and 12 October 2020, the first exchange of experiences on “Consumer protection: mechanisms and challenges” was organised by IRZ in partnership with the Jordanian Ministry of Industry and Trade. The online conference was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV).
Jordanian representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and from the Jordanian National Society of Consumer Protection took part in the conference. IRZ head of section, Sidi Mohamed Khairy, welcomed the participants on behalf of IRZ. Ali Talafha, Assistant to the Secretary General for Regional Affairs and Director of the Jordanian National Society of Consumer Protection, represented the Jordanian side in welcoming the participants.
The following IRZ experts took part in the exchange of experiences:
Dr. Dorothee Weckerling-Wilhelm, Head of the “Consumer Information, Food Legislation and Product Safety” Department at the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection
Dr. Arnd Weishaupt, a judge at the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf
Dr. Oisin Morris, a judge at the Local Court of Hamburg-Wandsbek
During the three-day online event, the participants discussed various topics, including:
The structures, developments and challenges involved in consumer protection in Germany and Jordan
The challenges involved in implementing consumer protection regulations
The potential for consumer protection in online retail and on social media
Mechanisms for establishing material defects, deficient services and the extent of damage, as well as calling upon expert witnesses in legal disputes
Jordan has been undertaking reforms in the field of consumer protection since the 1990s. In June 2017, the first consumer protection legislation came into force. This led to the establishment of the Jordanian National Society of Consumer Protection. The main role of the society is to provide an executive function, as well as monitoring the implementation of the law. Having operated until now as part of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the society is due to be dissolved and reformed as an independent authority under the direct rule of the Jordanian government. In future, the society will also work on further reforms, including improving the legal framework in this field.
The participants made the most of the conference to hold lively discussions and an intense exchange of experiences with the experts. The Jordanian partners of IRZ from the Jordanian Ministry of Industry and Trade are extremely interested in holding further expert talks and in continuing the cooperation in this area.
