Professor Mark A. Zöller from Trier University was invited by the Academy for the Judiciary to speak on “Source Telecommunication Surveillance and Online Searches – the New Approach of German Law Enforcement Agencies” on March 4th, 2019
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- Last updated:2020-02-11
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In the afternoon of March 4th, 2019, Professor Mark A. Zöller, Director of the Institute for German and European Criminal Procedure Law and Police Law (ISP) at Trier University, was invited by the Academy for the Judiciary to speak on “Source Telecommunication Surveillance and Online Searches – the New Approach of German Law Enforcement Agencies.” Assistant Professor Shih-Fan Wang from the Department of Law of National Taipei University served as the German-Chinese interpreter during the event. The lecture was about the achievements in the investigation since an amendment to the German Criminal Code of Procedure entered into force in 2017. The amendment has been implemented for more than a year and has caused an extensive discussion among academia and the legal practice in Germany. This issue is also highly valued by Taiwan’s law enforcement authorities, including prosecutors, the police, and investigators. As a result, a total of 143 participants attended the event, including Prosecutor-General Hui-Ming Chiang of the Supreme Prosecutors Office, current prosecutors, law enforcement officers from the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Investigation Bureau, law school students from National Taipei University, and students from the L'école Nationale de la Magistrature. At his presentation, Prof. Zöller elaborated on the elements and restrictions of conducting source telecommunication surveillance and online searches. He then further explained and shared his views on the amendments in support of the new investigation approach, such as protection of the core areas of private life, protection of witnesses who refuse to testify, requirements for legal procedures, comments concerning the use of the new technology (Quellen-TKU), and constitutional restrictions on the new powers. Apart from that, the event’s interpreter Prof. Wang also helped to expand on the differences between Germany and Taiwan's legal systems, and the difficulties that might be encountered in our enforcement practice. During the Q&A session, there was some lively discussion at the meeting with guests and participants asking Prof. Zöller about practical issues, such as how to acquire and use the State Trojan, monitor programs, and ways to plant a Trojan. Following the end of the lecture, President Pi-Yu Tsai personally gave Prof. Zöller a tour of the Academy, including the teaching facilities, classrooms, the library, the moot court, and student dormitories. The event was rounded off with the exchange of teaching experiences between the President and our foreign guest.