Munich Expert Workshop in January 2013

Following the postgraduate seminar, the ECPI hosted an expert workshop on European criminal policy on the premises of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich. Seven renowned experts who had not been involved in the previous work of the group shared their views on how to articulate common principles for criminal procedure and judicial cooperation in the future. For each expert, the ECPI had prepared a short introductory statement containing general questions that the group had come across. Prof. Dr. Helmut Satzger (Munich, ECPI) opened the workshop by introducing everyone to the ECPI’s task and by putting the question to the group as to whether or not general principles may be articulated for the European influence on judicial cooperation and criminal procedure. Prof Dr. Joachim Vogel, who also serves as a judge at the Higher Regional Court in Munich and holds a chair at LMU, took the floor to address this question from an academic’s as well as a practitioner’s view. Professor Jenia Turner (Dallas, TX) provided insights into the U.S. American criminal justice system to help the group assess whether or not to look to the United States and its system of criminal procedure. After introductory remarks by Prof. Dr. Maria Kaiafa-Gbandi (Thessaloniki, ECPI), Prof. Dr. Sabine Gless looked at how to effectively protect individuals, notably suspects, in a cross-border proceeding. To conclude Friday’s session, Prof. Dr. Ingeborg Zerbes (Bremen, ECPI) initiated the discussion on Dr. Wendy DeBondt’s (Ghent) task to discuss protecting victims in Europe.

The Saturday session was started off by Prof. Dr. Dan Frände (Helsinki, ECPI) and Prof. Dr. Gert Vermeulen (Ghent) who debated with the participants over limiting the principle of mutual recognition appropriately. Prof. Dr. Thomas Elholm (University of Southern Denmark, ECPI) then invited Prof. Dr. Pedro Caeiro (Coimbra) to share his view on whether the coherence of national criminal justice systems was worth protecting. The meeting was concluded by Prof. Dr. Adán Nieto Martin (Castilla-La Mancha, ECPI) and Prof. Dr. Fritz Zeder (Vienna) and the outlook for establishing a European Public Prosecutor. The meeting was closed by Thomas Elholm, who thanked speakers and all of the participants for open and constructive discussions and for sharing many intriguing ideas.