OSCE Mission to Skopje publishes handbooks about new criminal procedure law

SKOPJE, 21 April 2011 – The OSCE Mission to Skopje today launched five handbooks that look at new aspects of the revised Law on Criminal Procedure.

The OSCE Mission to Skopje published the handbooks to help ensure that  the procedure in criminal cases is unified and standardized on all levels of the judiciary.

The publications focus on the right to legal defence, the introduction of cross-examination and plea bargaining, and the law's changes with regards to investigations, including the use of special investigative measures.

“The OSCE publications on the new Law on Criminal Procedure will guide judges, prosecutors and lawyers as they apply new concepts and adopt new practices to implement the new criminal procedure,”said the Acting Head of OSCE Mission to Skopje, Ambassador Natalya Drozd.

The OSCE Mission also is planning to organize training courses on the new law for judges, prosecutors, attorneys and police officers. The courses will be organized in co-operation with the Academy for the Training of Judges and Prosecutors.