The objective of the project was to train a number of lawyers helping them to initiate and conduct proceedings for the protection of the rights of SaM citizens before national and international courts, in particular the ECtHR. The idea was to raise the professional legal skills of lawyers in the area of human rights litigation, to equip them with the necessary knowledge of international protection of human rights, to train lawyers in applying to the ECHR at domestic level by the purpose to have less cases in front of the European Court in the future.This project is the continuation of activities conducted during 2003. The same two trainings already took place last year in Belgrade (in June and November 2003). On this training 50 lawyers had an opportunity to learn about ECHR standards – 25 participants each. The training of lawyers continued in 2004 (two additional seminars for new 50 participants). Each seminar lasted for five days.
These seminars concentrated on the procedure and jurisprudence of the ECtHR, application procedure and communication skills before national and Strasbourg courts, studies and moot courts and the relevant domestic law. Focus had been on practical work and engagement during the seminar. Case studies, panel discussions and moot courts had been the seminars’ dominant features.
In September 2004 twenty lawyers out of 100 participants on this four seminars spent four days in Strasbourg. The special seminar was organised for them in Palais de l’Europe with purpose to improve their knowledge in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.
