Setting Up and Operating Joint Investigation Teams

Abstract

The term ‘joint investigation team’ (JIT) is used worldwide in respect of various forms of law enforcement investigative cooperation and this paper will focus on such teams at EU level. The EU Council of Ministers adopted the Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters on the 29th of May 2000 (2000 MLA Convention). The potential establishment of joint investigation teams is provided for in Article 13 of the Convention, although, owing to the delay in ratifying the 2000 MLA Convention, the Council adopted a Framework Decision on JITs on 13 June 2002. For the moment both the Convention and Framework Decision are in force as legal bases for creating JITs. This paper will highlight the special dual legal regulation for JITs and also analyse the valid legal provisions. The author will finally detail some practical problems in the field of the admissibility of evidence.