The 8th Anti-Corruption Conference in Podgorica Montenegro
According to EU country reports, corruption remains one of the main problems in the preparations for EU accession of the current candidate countries, including Montenegro. That is why IRZ has been working there for years with the NGO MANS, the main organiser of the annual national anti-corruption conference.
The importance of this event is underlined by the fact that it is supported by the EU itself, among others.
The 8th Anti-Corruption Conference, which was opened by Montenegrin Minister of Justice Bojan Bojovic and Peter Felten, German Ambassador to Montenegro, as well as other of his counterparts, addressed the topic of ‘Unexplained assets and lifestyle as important early indicators of high-level corruption’. It provided a forum for exchange, particularly with regard to the verification and confiscation of assets among judges, prosecutors and police officers. Mechanisms for integrity checks and accountability were also discussed.
On behalf of IRZ, Detlef Kreuzer, former head of the Economic Crime Division at the Hamburg State Office of Criminal Investigation, who has also gained extensive experience in reforming countries as an international expert, presented the practices in these countries and the German legal perspective.
He developed recommendations for action and practical guidelines, including, in particular, integrity checks based on reliable data. He also emphasised that although a reversal of the burden of proof is legally possible, it requires a very solid basis in the form of concrete grounds for suspicion, which must meet very high standards. In addition, he pointed out that the implementation of vetting and similar screening procedures also has a general impact on the institutions concerned, including a significant signal effect for the next generation.
The event, which as usual received broad media coverage in the country itself, is documented in its original form on YouTube. Mr Kreuzer's presentation can be found there from 03:01:05 and Ambassador Felten's welcoming address can be heard from 18:28.
The President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro, Valentina Pavličić (center), Judge at the Dresden Higher Regional Court, Andrea Pordhaski (left), Dr Stefan Pürner, IRZ Montenegro
The EU is calling on the candidate countries in the Western Balkans to increase the efficiency of their judicial systems. This can be achieved in various ways, namely through organizational changes, legal reforms, and changes in behavior within the judiciary. However, not least because of the language barriers between German experts on the one hand and their partners on the other, taking stock of these areas can be relatively time-consuming.
The situation is different when experts from the German judiciary who are familiar with the language and cultures of the Western Balkan states due to their family background are called upon.
For this reason, Judge Andrea Podhraski from the Higher Regional Court of Dresden traveled to the Supreme Court of Montenegro for several days on behalf of IRZ. She is fluent in Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian and was thus able to take stock of the court's working methods.
In addition to many direct conversations with colleagues and other court staff and attending court hearings, Ms. Podhraski also inspected court files. The absence of language barriers not only made the exchange faster and more efficient, but also allowed for the immediate inclusion of regulations and written documents, for example.
Based on these findings, IRZ's further activities in support of the court will be defined in close consultation with the President of the Supreme Court, Ms. Valentina Pavličić.
The project area covers the Western Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia and is looking for judges, public prosecutors, notaries, and lawyers with working knowledge of the language of one of these countries for short-term assignments in Germany. Interested parties are requested to send a brief expression of interest to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., providing the most important information about their professional activities and language skills.
The participants of workshop in Belgrade Western Balkans region
At the end of 2024, German-speaking (junior) lawyers and language mediators from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, who had already taken part in various internships, language courses and courses on German law organised by the IRZ, discussed current topics in German law and the participating countries at the Institute for Comparative Law in Belgrade.
The aim of the workshop, which was conducted entirely in German, was not only to strengthen the legal knowledge of the alumni, but also to improve their ability to exchange ideas in German on legal issues and to network with each other.
The participants themselves also gave presentations on topics such as the legal requirements for the EU accession sought by the partner states in the Western Balkans and comparative legal presentations on German law and the law of the region. Other priorities were constitutional law and legal training for trainee lawyers in Germany on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Basic Law.
The extensive programme of events was interspersed with entertaining elements such as a quiz on German law and the presentation of a birthday cake for the Basic Law, which was accepted by the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Serbia, Mr Carsten Meyer-Wiefhausen.
