International Academic Conference Harmonisation of Criminal Legislation in Modern Europe has opened in Odesa.

According to — Odesa National University Vice Rector, Chairperson of the Chair of Criminal Law and Forensic Science, Professor Eugeniy Streltsov, such topical issues of European law, as new perspectives on traditional crime, supranational criminal law, criminal law development in the direction of the XXI century will be discussed for the first time in Ukraine.

The International Academic Conference gathered in Odesa famous university experts and practitioners from Ukraine, Germany, Russia and Moldova.

The work of the international conference will take place in four main directions. The plenary presentations and round table discussions will dwell upon the issues of penal law comparativist research, juvenile justice, criminal liability of doctors, etc.

He added that the conference is held with the participation of the Max Planck Institute for International and Foreign Criminal Law, National University “Odesa Law Academy” and Odesa National University.

In Odesa the event is supported by the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation.

“The processes that are currently happening in the world, in Europe, are irreversible, and we are trying to create a totally civilized community of nations. This requires organization. Of course, law is part of the organization. Law can have several functions: regulation of processes, relationships, and in some cases must comply with government protection from criminal manifestations. In this regard, we have been planning to hold this kind of conference for a few years”, he said.

“We left theory and philosophy in order to try to figure out what we need to do to achieve the harmonization of legislation of criminal law. Harmonisation is a common union, rather than copying some rules. Harmonisation of criminal law legislation should lead to a common denominator of law in Europe and the CIS “, he summed up.

The university professor also stressed that judicial decisions should be based on the quality of legislation.

Frank Hupfeld of the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation believes it to be symbolic the exchange of experience between experts from different in criminal legislation is taking place in Odesa.

“The German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation has been working for about 20 years in Ukraine. The Foundation is a non-profit organization in Europe, its purpose is to promote transition f states to a socially oriented market economy by means of condicting training and legal research”, he said.

“The exchange of professionals, specialists contributes to a synergistic effect, which will bring fruit in the future. Therefore, it is symbolic that in Odesa has been chosen the place for this exchange of experience among specialists from different countries and, in particular, exchange experiences with specialists from Odesa, at the International Academic Conference Harmonisation of Criminal Legislation in Modern Europe”, added F. Hupfeld.

Max Planck Institute for International and Foreign Criminal Law has intentions to foster cooperation with Odesa National Mechnikov University, Hans-Jorg Albrecht of the Max Planck Institute for International and Foreign Criminal Law announced today, 6 September, during a news conference.

“Now, Max Planck Institute for International and Foreign Criminal Law wants to develop cooperation with the Odesa National Mechnikov University. This cooperation started as far back as the Soviet times. It is of great importance” he said.

“Now we live in a globalized world, and it is important we should develop rules, standards, which would become the basis for the harmonisation of criminal legislation. This concerns, for example, the issue of death penalty. The second example is the financial crisis. The crisis destroyed trillions of dollars. New securities were issued and sold. People bought them, unaware of the threats that may arise as a result of this. The question arises: is it possible to apply the rule of law that exist in these processes? Problem is to prove the involvement of individuals, organizations and corporations to the crisis”, added Hans-Jorg Albrecht.

Professor, Doctor of Law, Honoured Lawyer of the Russian Federation Azaliya Dolgova emphasized “the crisis must have a name”.