 |
| Klentiana Mahmutaj |
In an interview with ATA, she said that being included in the list of defense lawyers in the Special Court of Kosovo is a professional and historic privilege.
"It is an opportunity to contribute to my experience of more than a decade as a lawyer in the UK and in international forums intertwined with further knowledge of the Kosovo issue, not only as an Albanian but also as a scholar of international law.", she says.
Mahmutaj states that “according to the rules of this court, it is a precondition that the lawyers who can appear before this court be accepted in the List of Lawyers after an application and selection process. This applies to lawyers who are directly engaged by the parties as well as those appointed by the court. Acceptance to this list is the first necessary step to participate in an important process in the legal and political life of Kosovo."
She underlines that "inclusion in the list means that either the Special Court itself can appoint me as a defense attorney of a certain individual or the individual himself can hire me as his representative".
"If I engage in a particular case, either as a sole lawyer or as part of a team of lawyers, which is common in cases of this level, then it means that I will represent the accused party in the trial before the Special Court.", She explains.
Regarding the contribution that Mahmutaj is expected to bring to this position, she states that “I think it brings at the same time two important contributions: experience as a lawyer in English courts and international forums as well as detailed knowledge of the Kosovo issue as Albanian, but also as a researcher of international law”.
Regarding the legal profession, she states that she has been practicing the legal profession (Counsel) in the UK for almost 15 years, where, among other things, she has successfully completed various criminal proceedings before the jury, the High Court, and the Court. of Appeal ”.
"I have also appeared in international forums related to human rights. For the sake of truth, it must be said that the legal profession in Great Britain has a history of several hundred years and is admired by members of the profession around the world", says lawyer Mahmutaj.
While she adds, my direct experience with the Kosovo issue began when NATO intervened in Kosovo in 1999. That year, in addition to studying law in England, I started working as a translator and later as a project worker with the British Red Cross in the rehabilitation of Kosovar refugees who had arrived in Britain at the time. "As a result, I saw and heard traces of history and the consequences of ethnic cleansing in the Kosovar population from the original sources and not just through the media."
"Two years later I studied for a master's degree in public international law at the University of London and my master's thesis was a study of the legality of NATO humanitarian intervention in Kosovo. Here I had the privilege of being overseen by Professor Greenwood QC, CMG at the time, lawyer and professor of public international law at the London School of Economics, and later British judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. A review of this thesis was later published as a book in Albania with an introduction by Professor Greenwood and was also promoted by the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Since then, I have maintained continuous professional cooperation with Kosovo and I think this provides me with useful experience in this process", says Mahmutaj.
As for her career before reaching this rather high position, she says that she has been practicing law in London for 15 years and for the last 12 years from Red Lion Chambers, London which is one of the main advocacy chambers in the UK and currently has over 100 members.
"In my work as a lawyer, I focus on criminal law, human rights and international arbitration. I am currently involved in international arbitration cases at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague as well as in one of the most important public inquiries in the history of Great Britain on the role of the Metropolitan Police Special Forces in Britain in 1968-2008, I also support other cases in the local English courts", says Mahmutaj.
"In addition to the legal profession, for two years in a row, I was a lecturer in The Law of Evidence at De Montfort University, Leicester. Here I have taught at the University and Master level. In addition to teaching, I have regularly published articles on human rights, criminal law, and international arbitration in academic journals in England and abroad as well as referenced at various conferences on international law. I am on the list of arbitrators at the International Court of Arbitration in London (for Europe) and at the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo," she said.
"I have been selected in several panels of specialist lawyers representing certain institutions of the English government. However, in my work, I try to give something to the younger generations of lawyers and in this context, I supervise and mentor American law students from Notre Dame University, which also has a campus in London.