Hans-Joachim Eckert

Eckert was born in Plochingen, Baden-Württemberg. Shortly after he was born, his family moved to Upper Bavaria. He completed his Abitur in Freising and then studied jurisprudence in Munich.{{cite web |url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/neuer-job-fuer-joachim-eckert-schieds-richter-fuer-die-fifa-1.1416089 |title=Schieds-Richter für die Fifa |last1=Ott |first1=Klaus |date=2012-07-19 |website= |publisher=Süddeutsche Zeitung |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language=German }}

Between 1978 and 1985 Eckert was judge at the Regional Court Munich I, criminal division, and then public prosecutor at the Munich public prosecutor's office II. From 1985 to 1991 he worked as a judge at the Regional Court Munich I, civil division, and from 1991 to 1998 he was a prosecutor at the prosecutor's office Munich II, as head of department responsible for tax evasion, economic crimes and organized crime. From 1998 to 1999 he was senior public prosecutor at the Higher Regional Court Munich, where he was head of division and responsible for money laundering, organized crime and international relations.

From 1999 to 2003 he was then senior public prosecutor at the Munich public prosecutor's office I. As head of division for criminal cases and economic crime, Eckert was responsible for information privacy, Nazi crimes, economic and organized crimes.{{cite web |url=http://de.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/bodies/01/66/50/17/hans-joachimeckert_en.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419080006/http://de.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/bodies/01/66/50/17/hans-joachimeckert_en.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 19, 2016 |title=Mr Hans-Joachim Eckert |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date= |website= |publisher=FIFA |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= }} In September 2003 he became Presiding Judge at the Regional Court Munich I and until September 2005 was focused on drug-related crimes.

From October 2005 until his retirement{{cite web |url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/fifa-richter-eckert-alles-andere-als-blatters-feigenblatt-1.2685035 |title=Alles andere als Blatters Feigenblatt |last1=Ott |first1=Klaus |date=2015-10-09 |website= |publisher=Süddeutsche Zeitung |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language=German }} in July 2015, Eckert was Presiding Judge of the business court division at the Regional Court Munich I.{{cite web |url=http://www.compliancecircle.de/jahreskongress/referenten/hans-joachim-eckert.html |title=Hans-Joachim Eckert |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date= |website= |publisher=Compliance Circle München |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language=German |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122045816/http://www.compliancecircle.de/jahreskongress/referenten/hans-joachim-eckert.html |archive-date=2015-11-22 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.eurosport.de/fussball/hans-joachim-eckert-blatters-schicksal-in-den-handen-eines-munchners_sto4930876/story.shtml |title=Hans-Joachim Eckert: Blatters Schicksal in den Händen eines Münchners |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=2015-09-29 |website= |publisher=Eurosport |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language=German }}

The focus of his activities were corruption cases, tax evasion, general economic crime, organized crime, money laundering, cybercrime, and asset forfeiture.

Eckert was also active internationally for the European Commission, in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Turkey. In Bulgaria he was assigned by the European Union to advise the government and to help build a prosecutor's office specialized on corruption. In addition, he examined in cooperation with an Italian Mafia investigator 300 unsolved murders there.

Eckert lectures on organized crime, cybercrime and asset forfeiture at the German Judges Academy, the Academy of European Law and in the training institutes of the Bavarian State Police.

He has been a presiding judge at the Regional Court Munich I for a number of known court cases in relation to economic crime, including corruption processes associated with bribes at Siemens, Ferrostaal and MAN SE.{{cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-87908023.html |title=Fahnder im Imperium |last1=Hujer |first1=Marc |last2=Wulzinger |first2=Michael |date=2012-08-27 |website= |publisher=Spiegel |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language= }}

He also led the court process for the purchase of Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank International by BayernLB.{{cite web |url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/bayernlb-prozess-bewaehrungsstrafe-fuer-ex-landesbankchef-schmidt-1.2193011 |title=Bewährungsstrafe für Ex-Landesbankchef Schmidt |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=2014-10-27 |website= |publisher=Süddeutsche Zeitung |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language=German }}

Hans Joachim Eckert was elected to the FIFA Ethics Committee in 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.haz.de/Nachrichten/Sport/Fussball/Nachrichtenticker/Hans-Joachim-Eckert-Ein-Deutscher-besiegelte-Blatters-Schicksal |title=Hans-Joachim Eckert: Ein Deutscher besiegelte Blatters Schicksal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=2015-10-08 |website= |publisher=Hannoversche Allgemeine |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language=German |archive-date=2015-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123040114/http://www.haz.de/Nachrichten/Sport/Fussball/Nachrichtenticker/Hans-Joachim-Eckert-Ein-Deutscher-besiegelte-Blatters-Schicksal |url-status=dead }}

On 17 July 2012, he was named chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee{{cite web |url=http://www.focus.de/sport/fussball/ermittlungen-gegen-fifa-praesident-blatter-entweder-er-klaert-auf-oder-er-ist-weg-_aid_802220.html |title=Münchner Richter warnt Fifa-Präsident Blatter: "Entweder er klärt auf oder er ist weg" |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=2012-08-18 |website= |publisher=Focus |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language=German }}{{cite web |url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/news/sport/fussball-gestaehlter-mann-in-strafsachenfifa-richter-eckert-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-141113-99-06067 |title=Gestählter Mann in Strafsachen: FIFA-Richter Eckert |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=2014-11-13 |website= |publisher=Süddeutsche Zeitung |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language=German |archive-date=2017-06-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628130643/http://www.sueddeutsche.de/news/sport/fussball-gestaehlter-mann-in-strafsachenfifa-richter-eckert-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-141113-99-06067 |url-status=dead }} by the FIFA Executive Committee.{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/news/y=2012/m=7/news=chairmen-ethics-committee-announced-and-new-code-ethics-approved-1664989.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512104654/http://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/news/y=2012/m=7/news=chairmen-ethics-committee-announced-and-new-code-ethics-approved-1664989.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 12, 2015 |title=Chairmen of Ethics Committee announced and new Code of Ethics approved |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=2012-07-17 |website= |publisher=FIFA |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= }} This decision was confirmed in May 2013 by a FIFA Congress.{{cite web |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/sport/fussball/fifa-kongress-ein-bisschen-applaus-12203552.html |title=Ein bisschen Applaus |last1=Ashelm |first1=Michael |date=2013-05-31 |website= |publisher=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language=German }} End of 2014, his work was criticized by the chief investigator of the FIFA Ethics Committee Michael J. Garcia. At the same time, Garcia stepped down from his position.{{cite web |url=http://www.zeit.de/sport/2014-11/fifa-garcia-eckert-blatter-korruption |title=Das war so nicht abgemacht, Herr Staatsanwalt! |last1=Fritsch |first1=Oliver |date=2014-11-13 |website= |publisher=Zeit |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language=German }}{{cite web |url=http://www.stern.de/sport/fussball/michael-garcia-erklaert-seinen-ruecktritt-als-fifa-chefermittler-3456178.html |title=Fifa-Chefermittler Michael Garcia tritt zurück |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=2014-12-17 |website= |publisher=stern |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language=German }} In October 2015, the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee, chaired by Eckert, imposed a provisional suspension of 90 days against FIFA President Sepp Blatter, FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke and UEFA President Michel Platini.{{cite web |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2015/10/08/fifas-sepp-blatter-suspended-along-with-jerome-valcke-and-michel-platini/ |title=FIFA's Sepp Blatter suspended, along with Jerome Valcke and Michel Platini |last1=Boren |first1=Cindy |date=2015-10-08 |work=The Washington Post |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= }} On 23 November 2015, Eckert opened the official proceedings against Blatter and Platini.{{cite web |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/sport/fussball/fifa-richter-verfahren-gegen-sepp-blatter-und-michel-platini-13927657.html |title=Blatter hört die Engel singen |last1=Becker |first1=Christoph |date=2015-11-23 |website= |publisher=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= |language=German }} Upon closure of the procedure, Eckert announced on 21 December 2015 the sentence and imposed upon both a ban of eight years as well as fines.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/sepp-blatter-banned-from-fifa-for-eight-years-michel-platini-a6781151.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220509/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/sepp-blatter-banned-from-fifa-for-eight-years-michel-platini-a6781151.html |archive-date=2022-05-09 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini banned: Fifa and Uefa presidents to appeal eight-year bans from football |last1=de Menezes |first1=Jack |date=2015-12-21 |website= |publisher=Independent |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= }} He opened the case against Valcke at the beginning of January 2016.{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/governance/news/y=2016/m=1/news=adjudicatory-chamber-of-the-independent-ethics-committee-opens-proceed-2754147.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108201913/http://www.fifa.com/governance/news/y=2016/m=1/news=adjudicatory-chamber-of-the-independent-ethics-committee-opens-proceed-2754147.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 8, 2016 |title=Adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee opens proceedings against Mr Valcke |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=2016-01-07 |website= |publisher=FIFA |access-date=2016-04-06 |quote= }} The judgment was delivered on 12 January 2016. Valcke was banned for 12 years{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/feb/12/jerome-valcke-banned-12-years-fifa-world-cup-tickets |title=Fifa's former secretary general Jérôme Valcke banned for 12 years |last1=Gibson |first1=Owen |date=2016-02-12 |publisher=The Guardian |access-date=2016-06-30 }} and fined SFr.100.000.{{cite web |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-fifa-banned-idUKKCN0VX2Q1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816233858/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-fifa-banned-idUKKCN0VX2Q1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 16, 2016 |title=FIFA's Rogues' Gallery - banned, fined or suspended |last1=Collett |first1=Mike |date=2016-02-24 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=2016-06-30 }}

In May 2017 he was controversially told that he would not be renominated after he had already been invited and traveled to the FIFA Congress in Bahrain. In an interview with Deutschlandfunk he explained that critical persons would apparently rather be replaced. He was replaced by Vassilios Skouris.[http://www.deutschlandfunk.de/fifa-ethikkommission-kritische-leute-werden-lieber.694.de.html?dram:article_id=385873 "Kritische Leute werden lieber ausgetauscht"] auf deutschlandfunk.de, 11 May 2017, retrieved 25 June 2017.

Together with Cornel Borbély,{{cite web |url=https://www.nzz.ch/sport/fussball/fruehere-fifa-chefethiker-gruenden-firma-ld.1330638 |title=Frühere Fifa-Chefethiker gründen Firma |last=Wagner |first=Elmar |date=2017-11-21 |publisher=Neue Zürcher Zeitung |access-date=2018-04-12 |language=German}} the former chairman of the investigatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee, and Marc Tenbücken, a communications expert, Borbély founded the Sports Governance Unit in November 2017,{{cite web |url=http://www.zeit.de/news/2017-11/16/fussball-fruehere-fifa-ethiker-gruenden-beratungsfirma-16130603 |title=Frühere FIFA-Ethiker gründen Beratungsfirma |date=2017-11-16 |publisher=Zeit Online |access-date=2018-04-12 |language=German}} which advises sports associations, clubs and sponsors on good governance.{{cite web |url=http://www.deutschlandfunk.de/korruption-im-sport-ex-fifa-ethiker-gruenden-neue-sports.1346.de.html?dram:article_id=401630 |title=Ex-FIFA-Ethiker gründen neue "Sports Governance Unit" |date=2017-11-26 |publisher=Deutschlandfunk |access-date=2018-04-12 |language=German}}

Eckert is a passionate mushroom picker. In his spare time he also visits a Realschule in the Bavarian Oberland to explain the judiciary system to students and to answer their questions.

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Category:20th-century German judges

Category:1948 births

Category:Living people

Category:FIFA officials

Category:21st-century German judges