Workshop on legal terminology for lawyers from the Middle East

Details
Published: February 27, 2023
Multilateral

IRZ organised a five-day language course on legal terminology to contribute to the social and professional integration of lawyers from the Middle East. The course was held from 10-14 October 2022 in Bonn, and was funded by the Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ).

Eleven lawyers from the Middle East region attended the course. The IRZ commissioned the lecturer Tibor Linke, a qualified lawyer, MA in Islamic studies and a research associate at the Erlangen Center for Islam and Law in Europe (EZIRE) at the Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen-Nuremberg.

During the language course, the participants gained an overview of German civil and criminal law and public law. The participants engaged in lively discussions, and mainly explored the basic concepts and foundations of these areas of law and clarified misunderstandings with technical terms using practical examples.

The main topics covered were:

  • In civil law: ordinary jurisdiction, division of the BGB (German Civil Code), authoritative provisions from the BGB AT (German Civil Code, general section) and from the law of obligations
  • In criminal law: application of criminal law, important basics and specific features, concepts of criminal procedural law
  • In public law: the Basic Law and its state principles, electoral system, administrative acts and their challenges, urgent legal protection
  • Formulation of an expert opinion and judgement

In addition to expanding vocabulary and knowledge, awareness was also raised within the group of the various styles of legal expression and the application of such in practice.

Copies of the various documents for legal transactions were also prepared (e.g. bill of indictment, lawsuit, statement of defence, pleadings, decision, judgement) in terms of their designation, form and structure.

Information was provided following the high level of interest in scientific work and correct citation.

Recommendations were provided on “structure, formulation and form of a successful CV and a letter of application” after the language course.

The speakers familiarised the participants with the various styles of expression and forms of writing they could use to improve their skills in legal language.

As the course proved to be extremely popular with the target group, IRZ is planning to hold similar formats over the coming year.