UNMIK/PR/1171
PRISTINA - On 20 April 2004 SRSG Harri Holkeri promulgated the Regulation on the Juvenile Justice Code of Kosovo.
The Code sets forth provisions on criminal law and procedure and the execution of measures and punishments applicable to juveniles. It therefore constitutes an integral part of the new framework for criminal legislation created by the Provisional Criminal Code and the Provisional Criminal Procedure Code.
In the preparation of the Juvenile Justice Code special attention was given to established principles of international law, general trends in modern criminal law reform and legislative developments elsewhere in the region.
The Code is the result of a lengthy process in which there has been substantial involvement of the Kosovo legal community, international organizations and individuals with an interest in juvenile justice. An initial draft prepared by a Working Group led by OSCE and UNICEF was reviewed by the former Joint Advisory Council on Legislative Matters. Thereafter, the UNMIK Office of The Legal Adviser took the principal role in the preparation of the Code. Important contributions were made at this stage by Kosovo legal experts, the Council of Europe, UNICEF, Pillar I, the UN Office of Legal Affairs in New York and the Government of Kosovo.