Cooperation USA - Germany

HG - Washington.   United States Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and German Minister of Justice Brigitte Zypries signed on April 18, 2006 two supplementary agreements to the Germany-United States extradition treaty of 1978 and the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, MLAT, of 2003. These agreements implement two treaties between the European Union and the United States that are supposed to conform and modernize the cooperation in law enforcement. The extradition supplement adds rules for data protection and the simplification of the procedure of authentication and transmission of extradition files. Germany will still not extradite, however, persons who may receive the death penalty in the United States. The supplement to the MLAT, which covers issues such as seizures and service of process, allows the formation of joint investigative teams, the identification of holders of bank accounts and the video examination of witnesses and experts. German American Law Journal :: Washington USA