Participants in the library of the Nuremberg Higher Regional Court. North Macedonia
A working visit by young judges from North Macedonia to the Higher Regional Court, Regional Court and Local Court of Nuremberg took place in Nuremberg from 22 to 26 October 2023. IRZ organised the event, which was made possible by project funding from the Federal Foreign Office, in cooperation with the Nuremberg Higher Regional Court and the Pavel Shatev Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors.
The focus was on the practice of effective conduct of hearings by judges as well as questions of judicial organisation and voluntary jurisdiction. The group also took the opportunity to learn about the judicial reappraisal of National Socialism in Nuremberg. Together with Bavarian trainee judges, the young judges took part in an all-day event in Courtroom 600, the site of the Nuremberg war crimes trials.
The event was a part of the critical reflection on the law in accordance with Section 51 of the German Judges Act, which was revised in 2021.
Participants in the seminar “Preparation and conduct of negotiations in civil procedure” held in Skopje (North Macedonia) on 25 October 2022. North Macedonia
The seminar on “Preparing and conducting negotiations in civil proceedings” organised by IRZ and the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors “Pavel Shatev” took place in Skopje (North Macedonia) on 25 October 2022. Antoneta Dimovska, judge at the civil court in Skopje and Prof Dr Jan Orth, LL.M., presiding judge at the Cologne Regional Court, emphasised the importance of extensive preparation and active management of civil hearings.
Judicial conduct of negotiations has multiple effects
They not only help speed up the duration of the proceedings, but also lead to a greater acceptance of the court and its decisions by the parties and thus to the reputation of the judiciary as a whole.
The participants were given practical recommendations, e.g. on how to deal with the parties and legal representatives when dealing with litigation settlements. A practical exercise in small groups on relational techniques rounded off the program.
The two speakers both stressed the importance of an active role for the judiciary in their very engaging presentations. They also responded to their frequently encountered fear of being biased due to preliminary assessments of the legal and factual situation.
The film backed up the discussions and presentations
The premiere of the IRZ training film on judicial negotiation in the Macedonian language was a valuable addition to the presentations and discussions. It also featured Macedonian participants in working visits to Germany organised by IRZ, who described the impressions they had gained and related German practice to that in the courts of North Macedonia.
The event is an example of how IRZ significantly increases the efficiency of the IRZ events with the professional combination of formats and forms of action.
Lovro Tomašić, BNotK and Metodija Ristoski, President of the North Macedonia Chamber of Notaries, answer questions from the media. North Macedonia
Major role of the notary's office in the fight against money laundering
Two events were held in Skopje (North Macedonia) on 26 October 2022 on the topic “The role of the notary's office in the fight against money laundering”. IRZ aims to use this measure to support the North Macedonia Chamber of Notaries in cooperation with the Federal Chamber of Notaries.
Notarial reporting obligations and recommendations for conduct
An internal workshop was held in the morning, which began with a welcome address from the President of the Chamber of Notaries of North Macedonia, Metodija Ristoski, notary Dr Lovro Tomašić and the IRZ project manager responsible, lawyer Dr Stefan Pürner.
Ana Jolaskoska, a notary in Skopje, and Dr Lovro Tomašić then spoke from the perspective of the participating countries. The topic was then discussed from the notary's internal perspective, with numerous examples of notarial reporting obligations and recommendations for conduct.
High level of interest from the media
President Metodija Ristoski and Dr Lovro Tomašić answered questions from the representatives from the media and press agencies in the country in a press conference.
Panel discussion
Dr Pürner moderated a public panel discussion in the afternoon. This gave Ana Jolakoska and Dr Lovro Tomašić and now also Blažo Trendafilov from the Department for Financial Investigations the opportunity to highlight that the notary's office performs a vital role for society as a whole that goes beyond individual legal transactions, particularly with respect to money laundering.
The intensive working day provided a collegial exchange of ideas and also raised awareness among the general public of the importance of the preventive administration of justice.
The event format used the experiences of the pandemic
Both events were held in hybrid form, so that notaries who were unable to attend the event in person could also participate online and engage in the information provided and in the exchange of experiences. This enabled IRZ and its partners to significantly increase the scope of the face-to-face events.
