Expert talk at the Bonn Public Prosecutor's Office as part of the study trip for Kosovan judges and Public Prosecutors from 12–16 December 2022 in Bonn. Kosovo
A delegation of 22 Kosovar judges, prosecutors and public prosecutors and representatives of the Kosovo Judicial Academy received some practical insights into the working methods of German courts and public prosecutor's offices from 12–16 December 2022.
The aim was also to establish a professional and exchange of experience with German colleagues and thus strengthen contacts between the institutions. The focus was on the area of the general jurisdiction of the ordinary courts.
During the study trip, the delegation exchanged views with judges from the Cologne Higher Regional Court on the structure and role of the general jurisdiction of the ordinary courts, German civil procedural law, the basics of family court proceedings and the possibilities of alternative dispute resolution in Germany. These topics were of particular interest to the participants in view of current efforts to reform Kosovo's civil procedural law based on the German model.
The delegation gained further practical experience during a visit to the Regional and Local Court in Bonn. After being welcomed by Dr Stefan Weismann, the President of the Regional Court, the delegation attended various court hearings in criminal matters. This was followed by a detailed discussion with a judge from the Regional Court, during which the participants asked specific questions about the course of the proceedings and the judicial proceedings. After a guided tour of the court museum, the delegation received an introduction to German criminal procedure law.
Another highlight of the study trip was the visit to the Bonn Public Prosecutor's Office. Here, the delegation received a comprehensive insight into the role, tasks and organisation of the Public Prosecutor's Office in Germany and information about the training and job description of a public prosecutor. Another focus of the expert exchange was on the field of international legal assistance.
The three-day study trip was characterised by intensive discussions and lively expert exchanges. The active participation of the participants once again confirmed the great interest and importance of the German-Kosovan expert exchange of experiences.
The event was funded by the Federal Foreign Office to support the project “Support for several states in the Western Balkans in consolidating rule of law and European standards”. The cooperation with the Kosovo Judicial Academy will be continued and expanded in 2023.
Attendees of the 8th Steering Committee Meeting of the EU project “EU/Kosovo Justice Sector Program” with Mr. Nicola Scarramuzzo, Team Leader in the European Union Office (1st from left), Mr. Blerim Salahu, Deputy Minister of Justice of Kosovo, (2nd from left) Jetish Maloku (Chairman of the Council of Public Prosecutors of Kosovo) (3rd from left in the middle), Mr. Volkmar Theobald, Team Leader of the EUKOJUST project (2nd from right), Teresa Thalhammer (Project Managers of IRZ 1st from right) Kosovo
The 8th Steering Committee meeting was held on 3 November 2022 in Pristina as part of the EU Grant Project, EUKOJUST.
The IRZ has been implementing the large-scale justice project in Kosovo in partnership with the Dutch Centre for International Legal Cooperation (CILC) and the Croatian Ministry of Justice and Public Administration (MoJPA Croatia) since October 2020.
The meeting was chaired on a rotating basis by Jetish Maloku, Chairman of the Prosecutor's Board of Kosovo. The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Justice Blerim Sallahu, President of the Supreme Court Enver Peci, Acting Attorney General Besim Kelmendi, Director of the Kosovo Judicial Academy Enver Fejzullahu, Director of the Legal Office in the Prime Minister's Office Mentor Borovci, IRZ Project Manager Teresa Thalhammer and Nicola Scaramuzzo from the EU Office in Kosovo.
During the meeting, the project presented the activities and achievements of the project for the period from July to September 2022, and the various activities planned for the following quarter to the representatives of the main judicial authorities.
Centre Albulena HAXHIU – Kosovo Minister of Justice To the minister’s left: Alriza BESHI – President of the Kosovo Chamber of Notaries To the minister’s right: Judicial Counsel Richard Bock, notary (ret.), Chief Representative of the Federal Chamber of German Civil Law Notaries for International Affairs Kosovo
Federal Minister of Justice Dr Marco Buschmann received Albulena Haxhiu, Minister of Justice of Kosovo, and her delegation in Berlin on 16 June 2022. The official visit focused on the ongoing judicial reforms in the Republic of Kosovo.
IRZ is providing advice on this and other reform topics as part of EU EUKOJUST project. This is why Teresa Thalhammer, project coordinator at IRZ, represented the IRZ management at the meeting.
Ministers Haxhiu and Buschmann stressed the significant interest in stronger cooperation between their two ministries in matters of civil and criminal law matters and exchanged views on current challenges such as in the area of digitalisation, which is accompanied by similar issues in both countries.
Reform of the Judicial Sector in Kosovo
The minister also used the meeting to report on the key objectives of judicial sector reform in Kosovo. In doing so, she emphasised the high expectations that the Kosovar population places in its government to achieve tangible results in building a functioning and trustworthy judiciary.
Long-standing Cooperation with the Federal Chamber of Notaries
The visit to the ministry was preceded by a working meeting on reforms of the notarial system at the invitation of the Federal Chamber of Notaries (BNotK).
The Federal Chamber of Notaries recently examined the Kosovo Law on Notary Services and drafted some reform proposals as part of its long-standing cooperation with the Kosovo Chamber of Notaries.
The President of the Kosovo Chamber of Notaries, Aliriza Beshi, his Vice-President and another chamber representative therefore attended the meeting in addition to the minister and representatives of the ministry. The two chambers engaged in constructive technical discussions, during which Judicial Counsel Richard Bock, retired notary and Chief Representative of the German Federal Chamber of Civil Law Notaries for International Affairs, and two other BNotK representatives elucidated the reform proposals.
Minister Haxhiu updated the meeting about the planned establishment of a working group to prepare a reform draft, and it was agreed that BNotK will be involved in advising the working group.
