EUROCONTROL's Just Culture Task Force and list of prosecution experts
EUROCONTROL's Just Culture Task Force and list of prosecution experts
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EUROCONTROL's Just Culture Task Force
Over the last few years, EUROCONTROL has championed developments in this crucial safety area with a dedicated EUROCONTROL Just Culture Task Force (JCTF). The Task Force is a group with a wide membership from aviation, rail, maritime and healthcare, as well as members of the judiciary, meeting regularly under the auspices of EUROCONTROL.
Since 2007, JCTF has been promoting debate about the legal questions relating to safety and justice, to foster and support dialogue between safety and judicial experts, and to develop relevant guidance material and policies in order to support the implementation and dissemination of a Just Culture concept in consideration of the relevant provisions of Regulation (EU) 376/2014.
The JCTF has developed a “model policy” regarding criminal investigation and prosecution of criminal offences further to the reporting of civil aviation incidents and accidents. The objective of this policy is to provide direction regarding the criminal investigation and prosecution of potential criminal offences resulting from aviation accidents or which come to the attention of prosecutors through the reporting of civil aviation incidents.
Together with the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (IFATCA) and the European Cockpit Association (ECA), EUROCONTROL has devised and delivered special Just Culture courses for aviation experts and prosecutors. These courses are designed to train local experts to assist the judiciary, if they so request, while also providing members of the judiciary (judges and prosecutors) with insights to the civil aviation safety.
List of aviation prosecution experts
EUROCONTROL in cooperation with IFATCA and the ECA supports its Member States and their judiciaries in finding aviation safety experts trained in Just Culture principles to assist national prosecutors entrusted with the judicial review of aviation incidents and accidents. Experts can be requested to help prosecutors understand the details of aviation occurrences so prosecutors can make an informed decision whether a judicial investigation or criminal prosecution is necessary or not.
When requested by a judicial authority of a EUROCONTROL Member State, EUROCONTROL will be able to make a recommendation on a suitable expert. It remains the decision and choice of any prosecutor to avail themselves of an expert from the list, thus leaving them the freedom of action in full respect of the independence of the justice system.
The Just Culture experts on the list are air traffic controllers or pilots who have been through advanced training and confirmed as prosecution experts based on criteria established by the Just Culture Task Force, IFATCA and ECA.
Anyone who would like to seek EUROCONTROL’s support in finding aviation safety experts trained in Just Culture principles, could fill-in and send a request on the dedicated EUROCONTROL webpage.
