Cooperation
Update time 2021-03-10 15:50
Article 66 Paragraph 2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Republic of Lithuania provides that courts and prosecutor’s offices of the Republic of Lithuania are obliged to send requests to the foreign institutions and organizations via the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania or Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania. Consequently, Prosecutor General’s Office plays the role of the central institution in communicating with foreign institutions and international organizations in accordance with procedure established by laws and international treaties of the Republic of Lithuania. When 29 May 2000 Convention on mutual assistance in the criminal matters between the Member States of the European Union as ratified by the Council under Article 34 of the European Union Treaty came into effect, regional prosecutor’s offices were appointed as competent institutions in provision of legal assistance; as a result, direct cooperation between Lithuanian and foreign prosecutor’s offices has increased.
Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania cooperates with foreign prosecutor’s offices, other state organizations; it also participates in the activities of international institutions, international conferences and seminars and the process of integration to the European Union. Furthermore, Prosecutor’s Office has its representative in the European Union’s Judicial Cooperation Unit (EUROJUST) enhancing the fight against serious organized crime and terrorism, as well as contact points in the European Judicial Network (EJN), contact points in the network of contact points in respect of persons responsible for genocide and crime against humanity and war crimes; in addition, prosecutor’s office maintains contacts with the European Police Office (EUROPOL), the European Ant-Fraud Office (OLAF) and takes part in various international projects.
Prosecutor General’s Office coordinates relations between the Lithuanian prosecutor’s offices and prosecutor’s offices of foreign countries, other organizations and keeps in contact with foreign institutions and international organizations via the Division of International Relations and Legal Assistance. This Division undertakes the following activities:
Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania cooperates with foreign prosecutor’s offices, other state organizations; it also participates in the activities of international institutions, international conferences and seminars and the process of integration to the European Union. Furthermore, Prosecutor’s Office has its representative in the European Union’s Judicial Cooperation Unit (EUROJUST) enhancing the fight against serious organized crime and terrorism, as well as contact points in the European Judicial Network (EJN), contact points in the network of contact points in respect of persons responsible for genocide and crime against humanity and war crimes; in addition, prosecutor’s office maintains contacts with the European Police Office (EUROPOL), the European Ant-Fraud Office (OLAF) and takes part in various international projects.
Prosecutor General’s Office coordinates relations between the Lithuanian prosecutor’s offices and prosecutor’s offices of foreign countries, other organizations and keeps in contact with foreign institutions and international organizations via the Division of International Relations and Legal Assistance. This Division undertakes the following activities:
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prepares drafts on improvement or facilitation of agreements with competent foreign law enforcement institutions regarding cooperation in the criminal matters;
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prepares and sends requests for legal assistance in the criminal matters issued by prosecutor’s offices and pre-trial investigation bodies to the foreign institutions and international organizations;
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prepares and sends requests for persons’ extradition or surrender under the European arrest warrants to the foreign states, applies to the court with request for extradition or surrender of a person from the Republic of Lithuania;
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examines foreign states’ requests for transiting the persons extradited by foreign states through the territory of the Republic of Lithuania;
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examines requests for legal assistance sent by foreign institutions and international organizations, control the execution of such requests in the territorial prosecutor’s offices and pre-trial investigation bodies;
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examines foreign states and international organizations’ requests for initiating or taking over criminal prosecution against the persons who have committed criminal offence abroad and have returned to the Republic of Lithuania;
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issues certificates on property or evidence arrest warrants and requests that such warrants were executed in other Member State of the European Union;
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acknowledges the property or evidence arrest warrants issued by other Member State of the European Union and organizes the execution thereof;
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provides information about valid legislative acts of the Republic of Lithuania.
While fulfilling obligations related with the membership of Lithuania in the European Union, Division of International Relations and Legal Assistance prepares activities reports, conclusions on the drafts of legislative acts into cooperation, actively participates in the analysis of criminality problems in Europe and the world.
