The delegation will be welcomed by Dr Georg Kleemann on behalf of the Federal Council.
Ukraine
Due to the current revision of a Ukrainian law on legislation adopted in 2023, some parliamentarians and lawyers led by the Chairman of the Legal Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, Mr. Denys Maslov, visited Berlin from 4 to 9 November 2024 to find out about the legislative process in Germany.
After an initial visit to the Federal Ministry of Justice, including a technical discussion on legal formalities, the delegation visited the Bundesrat to find out about its role in the German legislative process. This was followed by further meetings in the Bundestag, including with representatives of the Committee on Internal Affairs and board members of the German-Ukrainian parliamentary group.
The delegation immediately incorporated the knowledge gained from the exchange into the revision of the draft, with the technical support of an IRZ expert. Due to the great interest of the Ukrainian partners in training further members of the judiciary in the German legislative process, the IRZ is seeking to continue the exchange in 2025.
The delegation, headed by the Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor, Viktoriia Litvinova, with the Chief Public Prosecutor of Berlin, Margarete Koppers, the Senior Public Prosecutor Petra Leister and the Public Prosecutor Dr. Bastian Dorenburg.
Ukraine
Representatives of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the public prosecutor's offices of various Ukrainian regions visited Berlin from 14 to 18 October 2024 to exchange views with the German judiciary on juvenile crime, juvenile justice and the issue of ‘young people as victims of crime’.
Youth crime in Ukraine has increased significantly since Russia launched its war of aggression in February 2022, and the Ukrainian criminal code does not currently distinguish between children, young people or adults who break the law. Children and young people are also increasingly becoming victims of violence themselves.
The ten-member delegation held expert talks at the Federal Ministry of Justice on the topic of ‘Youth Crime and Youth Criminal Cases’, but also discussed the legal basis of out-of-court settlements, such as victim-offender mediation, and then exchanged views with the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office about its role in juvenile criminal proceedings. There was also a lively comparative exchange on the legal bases of both countries and on how children and young people are treated in criminal proceedings.
A technical discussion with a juvenile court judge and a defence lawyer showed the scope of the two different roles in criminal proceedings, supplemented by the principle of juvenile court assistance, the tasks and the responsibilities towards young people.
In a further discussion, two female chief inspectors from the Berlin State Office of Criminal Investigation explained the various strategies for preventing child and youth crime in the German capital. Finally, the child protection and trauma outpatient clinics in Berlin and the Childhood House at the Charité were presented to the delegation at the Charité. Children and young people affected by violence are not only taken care of here, but also accommodated in secure premises. This means that they do not necessarily have to appear in court, which promotes child-friendly justice.
The working visit was preceded by a preparatory online event in August 2020, during which an IRZ training film showed an example of a juvenile criminal trial concerning the robbery of a vest.
The delegation was able to take away many ideas from the German juvenile court system. IRZ is planning to continue the cooperation in 2025.
Visit to the Council of the European Union in Brussels.
Ukraine
From 8 to 18 July 2024, IRZ organized the summer school “Introduction to German and EU Law”, which offered Ukrainian students from five universities the opportunity to gain in-depth insights into the German and European legal system. The participants came from Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv, Mohyla Academy in Kyiv, Ivan Franko University in Lviv, Yaroslav Mudryi University in Kharkiv and I.I. Mechnikov University in Odessa.
The first module of the summer school took place in Bonn, where the students were given an intensive introduction to the German legal system. In a series of lectures, they learned the basics of German state and constitutional law, civil and civil procedural law, criminal and criminal procedural law as well as administrative law, administrative procedure and administrative procedural law. In addition to the lectures, they had the opportunity to gain practical experience by attending civil and criminal court sessions at Bonn Regional Court. They also explored the Faculty of Law and Political Science at the University of Bonn, giving them a comprehensive insight into the academic world of law.
In preparation for the second module of the summer school, the participants received a comprehensive introduction to European Union (EU) law and a detailed analysis of the impact of EU law on German national law. In addition, human rights protection within the framework of the Council of Europe was dealt with, with a particular focus on the European Convention on Human Rights.
The second module of the summer school took the participants to Strasbourg and Brussels, where they deepened their understanding of the European institutions and how they work. In Strasbourg, they were given an introduction to the work of the Council of Europe and visited the plenary chamber of the Parliamentary Assembly. They were also introduced to the HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) program, which is specifically geared towards Ukraine.
The highlight of the summer school was a visit to the plenary session of the newly elected EU Parliament in Strasbourg. The students had the unique opportunity to follow the session from the public gallery and listen to the speeches of the candidates for the post of President of the Parliament.
This was followed in Brussels by a visit to the European Commission and presentations on the role of the European Commission as the EU's political executive and on Ukraine's accession prospects and long-term integration into the EU. The visit to the Council of the EU provided valuable insights into the legal framework for the Union's external relations and rounded off the program.
The summer school not only provided the Ukrainian students with useful academic knowledge, but also enabled them to learn first-hand about the functioning and structures of the most important European institutions, with a special focus on Ukraine.
