On 05 December 2019, the Academy of Justice in cooperation with the US Embassy Office in Pristina / OPDAT, within the framework of the Continuous Training Program, organized a workshop on: “Harmonizing the Approach to Punitive Policy”.
The purpose of this training was to enhance the professional knowledge of judges, prosecutors and other beneficiaries in the practical implementation of a guideline which has the positive effect of making punitive policy more uniform in all courts.
During the workshop it was pointed out that the perpetrators of the same nature offense and approximately the same circumstances have no consistency in sentencing from one court to another. Further, when imposing sentences, it is noted that inadequate assessment of the circumstances has been done and there is also insufficient justification of these circumstances.
Special attention was paid to mitigating and aggravating circumstances characteristic of which are that they are not exhaustive so other circumstances may be taken into account. It was also emphasized that aggravating circumstances are prone to be more specific and clear than mitigating circumstances.
In addition, the focus of this workshop was on the importance of cooperating with the Probation Service with particular emphasis on the assignment and implementation of alternative sentences, as well as the role and commitment of prosecutors in finding and presenting relevant mitigating and aggravating circumstances early in the investigation. Whereas, the subject of this event was the most unique approach to the imposition of fines and the advantage of imposing restitution.
The training was conducted through interactive discussions, and group work where participants had the opportunity to present their challenges and difficulties encountered in practice.
Beneficiaries of the training were judges, prosecutors and professional associates of the Mitrovica region.
05-12-2019