24th Annual Conference 2019 - Buenos Aires
Date: Sunday 15 September 2019 - Thursday 19 September 2019
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina (Centro de Convenciones)
About the conference
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Host: Attorney General's Office of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires
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Languages: English is the working language for this conference. Simultaneous interpretation into Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian will be available at all sessions that take place the Plenary Hall.
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Registration: Expected to open mid-March 2019
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Fee Participants 875 EUR (Early Bird)/ 950 EUR (Full Cost)
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Fee Partners: 425 EUR (Early Bird)/475 EUR (Full Cost)
Register now online (Early bird rate expires 14 June 2019)
About the venue
The 24th Annual Conference and General Meeting will be hosted in Buenos Aires, also called the "Paris of South America", due to its elegant architecture and rich European heritage. Its a city of contrasts ; European sensibilities and Latin American passion; wide boulevards and cobblestone alleys; sexy tango and lively rock and roll; sidewalk cafés and soccer fanatics.
Conference Theme/Sub-themes
International Cooperation Across Different Legal Systems
The 24th Annual Conference will explore how different legal systems operate international cooperation and overcome the legal and practical challenges of delivering across those different systems. The conference will develop attendees understanding of the differences and similarities between systems; identify barriers to cooperation and explore solutions to overcome them. The conference will have a strong operational focus with a view to improving the knowledge, effectiveness and efficiency of international collaboration.
Four sub-themes will be explored during the conference:
1 - Different Systems - Similar Challenges
Each country has developed its own legal system based on its history, culture, traditions and constitutional arrangements. Notwithstanding this rich diversity, many legal systems follow either the inquisitorial or the accusatorial approach to criminal justice. The first plenary will examine the differences and similarities in the legal frameworks and procedures of each approach and the impact this has on international cooperation. The session will consider high-level legal, structural and organizational barriers to cooperation and how to overcome them. Further, it will explore how different systems may reform or harmonize to improve international co-operation.
2 - Collection and Sharing of Evidence
Identifying, securing and collecting evidence is a challenge that increases substantially when operating across borders. At this point both international and national legal instruments, rules and procedures will play a key role in the prosecutor’s case building and criminal proceedings. The second plenary will consider the international legal frameworks and processes that govern the collection and sharing of evidence across borders; consider the practical barriers to the collection and sharing of evidence and how to overcome them and explore informal and alternative processes to Mutual Legal Assistance.
Workshop 1 will be divided into 2 sessions covering:
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The difference between intelligence and evidence.
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Alternatives to Mutual Legal Assistance.
3 - The Role of the Prosecutor in Cross-border Investigations
The role and responsibilities of prosecutors in complex cross-border investigations and the way prosecutors interact with other actors in the national and international criminal justice system has a profound impact on both the shape and progress of a case. The third plenary will examine the roles of prosecutors, judges and police in requesting and responding to requests for international cooperation. It will explore the relationships between investigators and prosecutors and the use of international liaison officers and prosecutors to progress investigations and casework.
Workshop 2 will be divided into 2 sessions covering:
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Differences in the role of the prosecutor in inquisitorial and accusatorial systems.
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The role of international liaison prosecutors.
4 - The Impact of Alternatives to Prosecution on International Cooperation
In an increasingly globalized world, both national and international legal architecture have to adapt and evolve to meet and counter ever changing crime typologies and threats. The fourth plenary will examine alternatives to prosecution such as plea deals, deferred prosecution agreements and non-conviction based disposals and consider whether international legal frameworks for Mutual Legal Assistance are keeping up with such developments. The session will consider the challenges in international cooperation where alternatives to criminal prosecution and traditional sentencing options are used.