Alternative measures in juvenile criminal law: round table talks between probation service, judges and public prosecutors

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Published: August 8, 2023

The IRZ, in cooperation with the Kosovar probation service, again organised round tables this year on selected issues relating to alternative measures in juvenile criminal law - an ideal platform to promote expert exchanges and inter-institutional cooperation between the Kosovar probation service, the judges and the Public Prosecutor's Office and to raise awareness of the importance of alternative measures for the rehabilitation of young offenders.

The round table discussions took place on 5 June 2023 in Pristina and on 6 June 2023 in Peja with the participation of approx. 45 representatives from the three professional groups, and also from the penitentiary system, the legal profession and the board for conditional releases.

The discussions were supported and moderated by the German experts, Mr. Stefan Scherrer, Juvenile Court judge at the Göttingen Local Court, and Mr. Stefan Thier, Consultant for Social Services in the judiciary in the Ministry for Justice, Europe and Consumer Protection of the State of Schleswig-Holstein. They reported on proven approaches and solutions, experiences and challenges from German practice and their personal everyday activities.

The engaging and lively discussions focused on the individual challenges of imposing and implementing alternative measures and the role and responsibilities of the probation service. The talks focused on the cross-sector cooperation between the probation service, the judges and the Public Prosecutor's Office.

Although Kosovo's Juvenile Criminal Code specifies numerous diversionary and alternative measures, the number of alternative measures imposed by the courts remains very low at roughly 3.1%. The continuous exchange of expertise and experience between the various institutions in Kosovo, supported by the IRZ and accompanied by German expert teams, marks an important contribution in the aim of promoting alternative measures in Kosovo's juvenile criminal law.

The event was held as part of the project “Support for several states in the Western Balkans in consolidating rule-of-law and European standards” and was funded by the Federal Foreign Office. As part of this project, the IRZ is working with the Kosovar probation service and other representatives from the judiciary to bolster the rule of law structures and the implementation of European standards in Kosovo.