Newsroom
OSCE concludes series of seminars on new Provisional Criminal Codes in Kosovo
PRISTINA 5 April 2004
PRISTINA, 5 April 2004 - One day before a new set of criminal codes takes effect in Kosovo, an independent institute established by the OSCE Mission has concluded a series of training seminars for legal personnel.
The new Kosovo Provisional Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code are the first laws created by Kosovans. They aim at increasing the consistency and transparency of the criminal justice system and at improving the overall efficiency of the courts. Representatives of the judiciary, including magistrates, took part in the training seminars.
"Training magistrates is a crucial task as they are the key to entrenching the rule of law in society," said Ambassador Pascal Fieschi, Head of the OSCE Mission. "They need the right tools to work with and these codes are a welcome addition to their toolbox. The recent violence that erupted in mid-March underscores this."
Drafted over the last few years by members of Kosovo's legal community and international experts, in consultation with dozens of interest groups, the codes reflect general trends in criminal law reform in the region and in Europe. In the past nine months, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo has hosted and sponsored a series of training seminars with the goal to assisting Kosovo's judiciary to accept and adopt the changes contained in the new laws.
The Provisional Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, promulgated under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, were signed on 6 July 2003.
The new Kosovo Provisional Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code are the first laws created by Kosovans. They aim at increasing the consistency and transparency of the criminal justice system and at improving the overall efficiency of the courts. Representatives of the judiciary, including magistrates, took part in the training seminars.
"Training magistrates is a crucial task as they are the key to entrenching the rule of law in society," said Ambassador Pascal Fieschi, Head of the OSCE Mission. "They need the right tools to work with and these codes are a welcome addition to their toolbox. The recent violence that erupted in mid-March underscores this."
Drafted over the last few years by members of Kosovo's legal community and international experts, in consultation with dozens of interest groups, the codes reflect general trends in criminal law reform in the region and in Europe. In the past nine months, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo has hosted and sponsored a series of training seminars with the goal to assisting Kosovo's judiciary to accept and adopt the changes contained in the new laws.
The Provisional Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, promulgated under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, were signed on 6 July 2003.