We would like to inform our readers that on 6^th April 2020 the Justice Ministers of the EU Member States met by videoconference to exchange information on the measures introduced by the Member States in the field of justice in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Below the main points discussed:

- functioning on courts and other judicial bodies in Covid-19 context;

- challenges for judicial cooperation such as practical issues in implementation of the european arrest warrant;

- current situation in prisons and detention facilities.

At the end of the videoconference, the Croatian Minister for Justice –  representative of the Member State currently presiding over the Council of the European Union – issued the following press release:

“Today we discussed the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the judiciary and exchanged information on measures taken by Member State governments to prevent its spread. Today's debate shows that Member States are taking various measures to try to adapt their national judicial systems to the new situation, including by changing the modalities of communication between courts, prosecutors and notaries. Some Member States have adapted their work on judicial cooperation proceedings, suspended time-limits in court proceedings, including on enforcement, bankruptcy proceedings, and the calculation of statutory interest rates. We also exchanged information regarding the execution of prison sentences, with reference to the current situation in penitentiary and pre-trial  detention in relation to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. We are all facing the same challenges and I am sure that the results of today's debate will help us deal with this crisis and the consequences it has for the area of justice at European level as well as in the Member States.”

(Carlo Bray)