Presentation of the second issue of the legal journal “Kitabat”

Interested readers browse the new issue of the specialist journal, “Kitabat”.
Interested readers browse the new issue of the specialist journal, “Kitabat”.
Tunisia

The second issue of the specialist journal, “Kitabat”, was formally presented in Tunis on 31 May 2023. Similar to the first issue, the journal, the title of which can be translated as “writings”, was created in collaboration with the Research Centre for Dispute Resolution and Enforcement Methods at the Faculty of Law and Political Science at the Université de Tunis El Manar. The aim of the journal is to promote an expert dialogue between Tunisia and Germany and other European and African countries. The journal therefore aims to serve as a platform for interested lawyers to exchange ideas on current legal topics. 

The articles in the current issue are from Tunisia, France and Germany. The journal is published in the French and Arabic languages. In addition, all the articles are preceded by a summary in German. The current issue contains a total of 11 articles on a wide variety of topics and, among others, gives readers insights into a legal perspective on topics such as illegal migration, alternative punishments, children's rights, medical liability or advancing digitalisation. The journal has over 600 pages, and readers can find out about legal news from other countries and gain suggestions for future work.

The specialist journal is intended to permanently promote and deepen the exchange of experience and knowledge between Tunisia and Germany. Further regular publications are planned for the future.

Further training on “Alternative punishments and alternatives to pre-trial detention”

EU criminal law experts Pascal Décarpes in conversation with participants in the training session on alternative punishments and alternatives to pre-trial detention.
EU criminal law experts Pascal Décarpes in conversation with participants in the training session on alternative punishments and alternatives to pre-trial detention.
Tunisia

Discussions on “Criminal law policy” was the focus of a further training course, which was organised by the IRZ on 29-30 May 2023 on “Alternative punishments and alternatives to pre-trial detention” as part of a project funded by the Federal Foreign Office to modernise the judiciary in Tunisia. The aim of the event was to promote the exchange of Tunisian, German and European experiences, models and perspectives in the area of preventive crime policy.

Mr. Ulrich Bremer, Senior Public Prosecutor and press spokesman for the Cologne Public Prosecutor's Office, and Mr. Pascal Décarpes, EU criminal law expert in preventive criminal policy, took part as experts. While Mr. Bremer primarily shared his knowledge of the German criminal system and the system of penalties to the participants, Mr. Décarpes contributed to the success of the event with his lectures on crime prevention.

The following topics were explored at the seminar, and provoked some lively discussions:

  • Preventative crime policy
  • Suspension of prison sentences
  • Organisation of probation services in Germany and Europe
  • Crime policy and the system of penalties in Germany and Tunisia
  • Pre-trial detention and possible alternatives
  • Alternatives to prison sentences and deferred sentences
  • Potential and risks associated with electronic ankle bracelets

The massive prison overcrowding has resulted in a great need in Tunisia to find possible alternatives to traditional prison sentences and for crime prevention. The event directly addresses this need by aiming to raise awareness of alternative punishments and the importance of preventive crime policies. The focus is on the necessary knowledge transfer for the effective implementation of alternative punishments.

4th advisory seminar on the reintroduction of a specialist degree in legislation

Participants in the final seminar on the development of a new degree in legislation held in Tunis on 31 May to 1 June 2023.
Participants in the final seminar on the development of a new degree in legislation held in Tunis on 31 May to 1 June 2023.
Tunisia

A new course is intended to train specialist personnel to help improve the quality of the law and thus modernise the judiciary in Tunisia.

The IRZ is advising the law faculty at El Manar University in Tunis on how to develop a new course in legislation as part of a project financed by the Federal Foreign Office to modernise the judiciary in Tunisia in the areas of criminal law and legislation technique. The fourth and final advisory seminar on the reintroduction of the course took place in Tunis from 31 May to 1 June 2023. Meetings in November and December 2022 and February 2023 had taken place prior to this final event.

Prof. Dr. Hans Hofmann, Humboldt University of Berlin and Prof. Dr. Klaus Messerschmidt, Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen-Nuremberg, attended the final seminar as the German experts. Mr. Kheireddine Ben Sultan, former head of the legislative department of the Tunisian government, spoke as a Tunisian expert.

Around 30 lecturers from various universities in Tunis took part in the series of events. The structure and methodology of the new course were developed by the Tunisian project partners alongside the advisory seminars.  The curriculum has now been finalised so that the new course at El Manar University in Tunis can start immediately. The lecturers who will teach the course have already been selected. The course will also be incorporated into the Virtual University in Tunis (l'Université Virtuelle de Tunis), which was set up as a distance learning university by the Ministry of Education several years ago, to enable those working in this area to receive further training in the field of legislation.