Criminal Law and Trafficking Programs
 |
| Anti-Trafficking posters, developed as part of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative's awareness campaign, are displayed in public places throughout Ecuador. |
In many host countries, new criminal codes have only recently come into force, in some cases providing jury trials for the first time ever. The Rule of Law Initiative assists legal professionals and law enforcement officers in implementing these novel codes of procedure. The Rule of Law Initiative also provides training, legislative drafting, and other support in combating human trafficking, corruption, money laundering and cybercrime and in addressing prosecutorial reform issues.
To learn more, please visit our Criminal Law and Trafficking Programs resource page.
Criminal Law Programs by country
- Africa: Nigeria
- Asia: China, Philippines
- Europe and Eurasia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine.
- Latin America: Ecuador, Mexico
Rule of Law Initiative Program Areas
Philippines
Anti-Terrorism
The ABA sponsored a stakeholder’s roundtable in Mindanao to discuss anti-terrorism legislation and the balancing of the state's security interests with individual liberties. Libertas, a young lawyers' group, facilitated the program and the ABA acted as an "honest broker," encouraging stakeholder participation. A second forum on the same topic was held in Manila in October 2005. An Anti-Terrorism bill was adopted by the legislature in February 2007.
For more information, contact Theresa Luong at <luongt@staff.abanet.org>.
CROATIA
Criminal Law Reform
 |
| As part of its training in adjudicating war crimes cases, the ABA held a workshop for prosecutors that focused on investigating and prosecuting war crimes involving massacres. |
Curriculum Development and Professional Training
In 2004, the ABA sought to develop, pilot and begin implementation of a continuing professional education curriculum for police, prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys and other judicial officials. The program focused on enhancing the professional expertise and skills required to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate war crimes and other complex criminal matters.
The ABA worked closely with the Croatian Ministry of Justice, the State Attorney General's Office, the Police Academy and the Judicial Academy to develop a coordinated and needs-responsive professional training program.
The ABA and its partners prepared a war crimes adjudication curriculum. The draft curriculum for the education of police, prosecutors, judges and defense attorneys consists of eight training modules:
- Witness/Victim Protection
- Camp & Massacre Case Studies
- Defending War Crime Cases
- Attacking the War Criminal Support Network
- Practical guide to ICTY
- Command Responsibility
- Right to a Fair Trial
- Practical skills training for the Police
 |
| Croatian judicial officials discuss critical issues regarding the right to a fair trial, including specific rights of the accused, the duty of judges and prosecutors to protect these rights, and the challenges they face in ensuring a fair trial. |
The ABA also supported activities to strengthen professional relationships between Croatian and international legal professionals involved in the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of war crimes and other complex criminal matters. The ABA, the Croatian Judicial Academy, and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Outreach Program organized a study visit to the ICTY for Croatian judges and prosecutors in February and March 2005. The visit was designed to strengthen the cooperation between the ICTY and Croatian judicial officials who are assigned to adjudicate war crime cases, and to discuss issues likely to arise in connection with any future transfer of cases or evidence from the ICTY to Croatia. The participants included judges and prosecutors from the main courts designated for any cases that may be transferred from the ICTY to Croatia, Supreme Court justices and State Attorney General Deputies.
Program closed in July 2006.
