Transcript Criminal Law Network - Organization of American States

Criminal Law Network
Criminal Law Network
Contents
• Background:
– The Process of the REMJA
– The Working Group in Mutual Penal Assistance and
Extradition
• Criminal Law Network
– Purpose
– Background
– Composition
– Secure Electronic Communication System
• Features, scope and training
– New developments
Criminal Law Network
Background
• ¿What are the REMJAs?
– (1997) Most important hemispheric political and technical
forum in matters related to the strengthening of and access
to justice and international legal cooperation in areas
associated with mutual assistance in criminal matters;
extradition; penitentiary policies; cyber crime; forensic
sciences; among others.
• ¿Who participates?
– The Ministers of Justice or other Ministers, or Attorneys
General of the Americas (REMJA).
Criminal Law Network
Background
• ¿How many REMJAs have been held?
• REMJA I (Buenos Aires, 1997)
• REMJA II (Lima, 1999)
• REMJA III (San Jose, 2000)
• REMJA IV (Port Spain, 2002)
• REMJA V (OAS headquarters, 2004)
• REMJA VI (Santo Domingo, 2006)
• REMJA VII (Washington, DC, 2008)
• Next REMJA VIII (Brasil, 2010)
Criminal Law Network
Background
• Some areas in which progress has been made:
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Reforms to the justice system: CEJA
Transnational Organized Crime
Cyber crime
Mutual Penal Assistance and Extradition
Traffic in persons
Penitentiary policies
Forensic sciences
• Developments in criminal mutual assistance and
extradition
• The Working Group in Mutual Penal Assistance and Extradition
Criminal Law Network
The Working Group
• Integration:
– Central Authorities in charge of international legal
cooperation and other governmental experts with
responsibility for mutual criminal assistance and extradition
in member states of the OAS
• Purpose:
– Serve as the principal hemispheric forum to strengthen
cooperation, facilitate the exchange of information and
experiences como el principal foro hemisférico para
fortalecer la cooperación, facilitar el intercambio de
información y de experiencias and issue the necessary
recommendations to that effect.
Criminal Law Network
The Working Group
• Developments and mandates:
– Process of Meetings:
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I Meeting (Ottawa, Canada, 2003)
II Meeting (Brasilia, Brazil, 2005)
III Meeting (Bogota, Colombia, 2007)
IV Meeting (San Salvador, El Salvador, 2009)
– Principal development:
“CRIMINAL LAW NETWORK"
Criminal Law Network
Criminal Law Network
• Purpose:
– Increase and improve the exchange of information between
member states of the OAS in the area of criminal mutual
assistance and extradition.
• Background:
– REMJA III (San Jose, 2000) – Establish a Network.
– III Summit of the Americas (Québec, 2001) - Reiterate the
establishment of a network.
– REMJA IV (Port Spain, 2002) – Development of a private site.
– REMJA V (OAS, 2004) - Adoption of the Criminal Law Network.
– REMJA VI y VII - Consolidation of the Criminal Law Network.
Criminal Law Network
Criminal Law Network
• Composition:
– Public Component:
• Online free database to obtain legal information about
member states.
– Private Component:
• Useful information for the persons directly involved in
judicial cooperation.
– Secure Component:
• Informatic tool to manage a safe and collaborative
environment.
Criminal Law Network
Criminal Law Network
• Public Component:
– Introduction to the legal system of each state.
– Description of the judicial system and administration of
justice.
– Current versions of fundamental legal texts.
– Procedures of cooperation with and of the state
– Standard documents for the filing of request.
– Applicable legislation, judicial decisions and documents.
– Bilateral and multilateral treaties in force.
– Electronic informative bulletin.
Criminal Law Network
Criminal Law Network
Criminal Law Network
• Private Component:
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Information about meetings
Directory of Central Authorities
Surveys
Questionnaries and their responses
Glossary
Criminal Law Network
Criminal Law Network
• Secure Electronic Communication System:
– Features:
• Facilitate secure communications
• Confidenciality of information:
– No centralized database
– No member states has control of its application
– SG/OAS does not have access to the information
conveyed
• Platform
– Microsoft Office Groove
Criminal Law Network
Criminal Law Network
• Secure Electronic Communication System:
– Features (continued…)
• Facilitates a secure communication between
geographically disperse computers
• Encryption of data (security is always present – it is not
optional)
• Information is confidential
• There is no central database
• Users decide with whom they share information (work
spaces)
Criminal Law Network
Criminal Law Network
• Secure Electronic Communication System:
– Current scope: 30 countries (+ 130 users)
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominica
Ecuador
El Salvador
United STates
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Pera
Dominican Republic
St. Kitts and Nevis
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay
Venezuela
Criminal Law Network
Criminal Law Network
Criminal Law Network
• Secure Electronic Communication System:
– Training:
“E-Learning”
Microsoft Office Groove 2007
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5 Units
Learning tool
Online assistance
Mean for permanent update
Complements in-person training
sessions:
Criminal Law Network
Criminal Law Network
• New developments:
– Electronic form for requests for mutual assistance
– New contact lists
– Glossaries of legal terms in mutual penal assistance and
extradition (4 official languages)
– System of Secure Videoconference
Criminal Law Network
Thank you
General Secretariat
Secretariat for Legal Affairs
Departament of Legal Cooperation
[email protected]