6th Summer School for Junior Magistrates from South-Eastern Europe

June 06-10, 2011 – Sunny Beach, Bulgaria

The Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat, in cooperation with the National Institute of Justice of Republic of Bulgaria, co-organized the annual Summer School for Junior Magistrates from South-Eastern Europe on June 06-10, 2011, in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. Launched in 2006 as a forum for exchange of ideas and practices among young judges, prosecutors and investigators, the event was organized for 6th consecutive year and was dedicated to the “International Standards and Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption”.

It consisted of four main training modules:

1. International standards in anti-corruption – the implementation of relevant conventions of United Nations and Council of Europe;
2. Reform of the judiciary and anti-corruption, as challenges of the EU accession process;
3. Anti-corruption policies and preventive measures;
4. EU experience regarding the international judicial cooperation in criminal matters, stressing on the activity of structures like OLAF and EUROJUST.

In the framework of the event the junior magistrates spent one week in academic environment along the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria gaining from the knowledge and experience of honorable lecturers coming from public institutions, international organizations and civil society. The young prosecutors and judges were given the opportunity to exchange ideas and experience on the anti-corruption field, to comment the weak and the strong points of their daily work, thus building bridges between the people in South-Eastern Europe.

The framework of the Summer School included presentations by experts from UNODC, Council of Europe (GRECO), Vienna University of Economics and Business, EULEX mission in Kosovo, EUROJUST, the Bulgarian Prosecution Office and District Court in Bourgas. During the special outdoor session, the junior magistrates visited the District Court in Bourgas and held a meeting with its president.

The event was closed with final evaluation of the attendants in the form of case study presented by the National Institute of Justice of Bulgaria followed by certificate ceremony lead by Judge Dragomir Yordanov – Director of the National Institute of Justice and Mr. Edmond Dunga – Head of RAI Secretariat.

For more information, please, have a look at the attached list of participants and agenda of the Summer School, as well as the presentations delivered at the event:

Summer School for Junior Magistrates from SEE – Stanislav Aleksandrov (RAI Secretariat)

Framework for Regional Cooperation and Sharing Best Practices in Fighting Corruption in SEE – Mr. Stanislav Aleksandrov (RAI Secretariat)

Overview of the UNCAC with Focus on International Cooperation – Mr. Erik Larson (The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The UNCAC and International Asset Recovery – Mr. Erik Larson (The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Overview of CoE Civil and Criminal Law Conventions – Mr. Edmond Dunga (GRECO Bureau Member and Head of RAI Secretariat)

The South-Eastern European Justice and Home Affairs Strategy in line with EU strategy in the area – the role of magistrates – Mr. Sorin Sterie (Regional Cooperation Council)

Description of the functioning of Prosecutor’s Office with focus on the recent changes regarding the EU accession process – Mr. Sava Petrov (Supreme Prosecution Office of the Republic of Bulgaria)

Functioning of the judicial system in Bulgaria with focus on the recent changes regarding the EU membership – Ms. Darina Kostova (Bourgas District Court)

Overview of Austria’s framework of anti-corruption laws; its evolution in regard to the international standards – Mag. Guenther Hauss (Institute for Austrian and European Economic Criminal Law)

Preventive Measures – Best Practices from Public and Private Sector – Mag. Markus Hoecher (Institute for Austrian and European Economic Criminal Law)

OLAF – the mechanism for detection and investigation of fraud and corruption within European Union – way of functioning + case studies – Mr. Alberto Perduca – (Former Director of Investigations and Operations at OLAF and Head of Justice Component of EULEX Mission in UNMIK/Kosovo)

Investigation and Prosecution of Cross-border and Organized Crime: How to enhance the development of Europe-wide cooperation on criminal justice cases? – Ms. Mariana Lilova (Eurojust)

Joint Investigation Teams – way of functioning + case studies – Ms. Mariana Lilova (Eurojust)

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