Joint Investigation Teams as a Specific Form of Mutual Assistance
Joint Investigation Teams as a Specific Form of Mutual Assistance

Summary/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. Initially the JIT concept will be outlined before the development of the instrument is described from the beginning to its current legal regulation. This process, however, can be summarised quite neatly and briefly. The idea of arranging the legal basis of JITs first emerged during the Tampere European Council (October 1999). As the next significant step, the EU Council of Ministers adopted the Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters on the 29th o f May 2000 (2000 MLA Convention). The potential establishment of joint investigation teams is provided for in Article IS 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.

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