Cooperation with the AIRE Centre (Advice on Individual Rights in Europe from London started in 1999 and last until today. From the September 1999 a three-day seminars were organised four times during one year to introduce Yugoslav lawyers to the European Convention on Human Rights and its implementation. The early seminars were held in Budapest, because of the tension in the country, and the incapability to obtain visas for foreign lecturers. Starting from March 2001, seminars were organised in Belgrade. Lecturers were prominent experts from Yugoslavia and abroad.

The main topics of the seminars are the standards of the European Convention of Human Rights and case law of the European Court for Human Rights. Various individual human rights guaranteed by the Convention were discussed (i.e. prohibition of torture, right to freedom and security of person, right to fair trial, freedom of movement, right to the protection of privacy and freedom of expression, right to peaceful enjoyment of property, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of association). In the latest stage of the project the scope of this seminars change. In 2009 Round Tables were organised to discuss open questions and to find the solutions for the Serbian judiciary to solve the problems of implementing European standards in the practice and to execute the judgments of the ECtHR.      

As a part of this project a Bulletin is issued, containing the most important decisions by the ECtHR on Serbian language, witch was distributed to judges and prosecutors in Serbia on a regular basis. Bulletin is produced by the AIRE Centre and could be found on the web page of this organization.

Overview of the seminars organised by the AIRE Centre, Council of Europe and BCHR supported by Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Foreign Commonwealth Office Fond for an Open Society and OSCE Mission in Belgrade  

 

1999 Budapest

  1. The European Convention on Human Rights and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 14 – 17 September, 25 participants                                                

2000 – Budapest

  1. The European Convention on Human Rights and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 12 – 14 February, 24 participants
  2. European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, 26 – 28 May, 20 participants
  3. The Protection of Human Rights: Selected aspects of the European Convention on Human Rights, 1- 3 September, 24 participants                        

2001 – Belgrade

  1. Protection of liberty and security of person and right to a fair trial under ECHR, 9 – 11 March, 31 participants
  2. Refugee Law and Freedom of Movement, 8 – 10 June, 37 participants
  3. The European Convention on Human Rights and Military Proceedings, 7 – 9 September, 31 participants
  4. The European Convention on Human Rights and Pre-trial Procedures, 7 – 9 December, 33 participants                                                     

2002 – Belgrade

  1. Criminal trial and the Execution of Sentences under the ECHR, 22 – 24 February, 31 participants
  2. Family Law and ECHR, 7 – 9 June, 35 participants
  3. Freedom of Expression, Right to Privacy and the Fair Trial under the ECHR, 27 – 29 September, 33 participants
  4. The Right to Respect for Property and the ECHR, 6 – 8 December, 44 participants                                                    

2003 – Belgrade

  1. The Right to Freedom of Conscience and Religion and the Right to Peaceful Assembly and Association under ECHR, 14 – 16 February, 35 participants
  2. International Standards on Protection of Refugees and Citizenship, 9 – 11 May, 33 participants
  3. Criminal Trial, Organised Crime and the ECHR, 10 – 12 October, 38 participants
  4. The Protection of Property and the ECHR, 5 – 7 December, 40 participants                                                    

2004 – Belgrade

  1. Criminal Trial and the Prohibition of Ill-treatment in the ECHR, 20 – 22 February, 41 participants
  2. Freedom of Expression, Right to Privacy and the Fair Trial under the ECHR, 23 – 25 April, 38 participants
  3. Civil Procedure under the ECHR and Alternative Dispute Resolution, 1 – 3 October, 32 participants
  4. Family Law and the European Convention on Human Rights, 2 – 4 December, 35 participants                                                    

2005 – Belgrade

  1. Freedom  of Thought, Conscience and Religion and Freedom of Assembly and Association –  ECHR Standards and Domestic Legislation and Practice, 10 – 12 February, 34 participants
  2. Workshop on the ECHR and the New Serbian Code of Civil Procedure, 14 – 16 April, 30 participants
  3. Freedom of Expression, the Right to Respect for Private Life and the Right to a Fair Trial under the ECHR, 29 September – 1 October, 36 participants
  4. Family Law and the ECHR, 17 – 19 November, 39 participants     

2006 – Belgrade

  1. Substantive and Positive Obligations under Articles 2 and 3 of the ECHR, 24 – 25 February, 36 participants
  2. The Right to a Fair Trial with a Special Emphasis on Length of Proceedings under the ECHR, 23 – 24 June, 38 participants
  3. Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion under the ECHR, 6 – 7 October, 37 participants
  4. Criminal Proceedings and the ECHR, 17 – 18 November, 42 participants                                                 

2007 – Belgrade

  1. Juvenile Justice – Overview of European Standards and Domestic Legislation and Practice, 9 – 10 March, 32 participants
  2. Fair Trial Issues under the ECHR, 22 – 23 June, 38 participants
  3. Freedom of Expression, the Right to Respect for Private Life and the Right to a Fair Trial under the ECHR, 28 – 29 September, 37 participants
  4. Execution of Decisions of International Tribunals Particular Focus on the Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, 16 – 17 November, 33 participants                                                        

2008 – Belgrade

  1. Death and Ill-treatment, The State’s Duty to Prevent, Investigate and Prosecute under the ECHR, 28 – 29 March, 23 participants
  2. Family Law and the ECHR, 27- 28 June, 30 participants
  3. Death and Ill-treatment – The Duty of the State to Prevent, Investigate and Prosecute under the ECHR, 24 – 25 October, 35 participants                                                 

2009 – Belgrade

  1. Round Table Discussion on Serbia’s Role in Ensuring Effective Justice, 20 February, 28 participants
  2. Round Table Discussion – Access to Justice: An Effective Remedy in Serbia, 23 June, 30 participants
  3. Round Table Discussion – Execution of Family Law Judgments, 15 October, 37 participants
  4. Round Table Discussion – Freedom of Assembly and non Discrimination Principles: National Standards within the Scope of the ECHR”, 23 November, 29 participants                                                  

                                     

 TOTAL           1.304 participants