Criminal Law Reform and Anti-Human Trafficking
The ABA 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.
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