Overview

The workshop aims to explore the role played by lawyers in the administration of justice, as intermediaries between the public and the courts, with a specific view to their freedom of expression, as illustrated by a practical analysis of the European and national relevant caselaw. First, the standards applied by the ECtHR will be described, since they are more flexible as compared to the ones relevant in the context of the freedom of expression in (and by) the press. Second, the restrictions on lawyers’ professional conduct will be addressed, taking as a starting point lawyers’ central position in the national courts and their duty to maintain the public confidence in the possibility of the legal profession to provide effective representation. The workshop aims not only to deepen the knowledge and understanding of the European standards and their relation to the national legal systems, but also to develop the participants’ practical skills in complex professional situations involving freedom of expression.

Framework

This workshop is offered within the European Commission’s funded project TRIIAL 2 – TRust, Independence, Impartiality and Accountability of Legal professionals under the EU Charter (project no. 101089737, JUST-JTRA-EJTR-AG-2020). The TRIIAL 2 Project provides training activities and tools for judges, attorneys, and prosecutors on the European rule of law, mutual trust, judicial independence, impartiality and accountability (see the dedicated website here).

Target group

Lawyers, public prosecutors, and judges from European Union (EU) countries. The training will be in English and opened to those with both basic and experienced knowledge of EU law and ECHR.

The Workshop will host 40 participants, of which 15 will be in person and 25 online.

Participation is free of charge.

For the 15 in-person participants, the travel, accommodation and meals at the venue are covered by the organizer.

Participants will be provided with certificates of participation.

Application

The deadline for the submission of online applications is 25 October 2024. The deadline is extended to November 4 for online participation only

Submit your application, including the documents mentioned below, to proiecte@unbr.ro and raluca.bercea@e-uvt.ro

You should mention in the title of your email whether you want to participate in-person or online. Italian judges are invited to contact internazionale@scuolamagistratura.it as regards their applications.

The following documents shall be attached to the application:

1. CV in English (including a section providing details of knowledge of English)
2. A short motivation letter (max 1 page) outlining the candidate’s specific reasons for applying to a Workshop on Judicial Dialogue and Freedom of Expression of Lawyers (please describe how your professional activity correlates to the workshop’s field of interest and how you could both benefit from and contribute to the Workshop in this field)

Selection Procedure

The assessment of applications will be based on the following criteria

1. 1. Gender and age balanced;
   2. Geographically balanced;
   3. Balance in the judicial hierarchy: both higher and lower instance courts shall be represented among selected participants;
   4. Trainers will have priority in selection (please refer to relevant training responsibilities in your CV);
   5. Knowledge of and experience with fundamental rights and rule of law issues;
   6. Good knowledge of English;
2. Single participation within the same Training Project (TRIIAL 2): in principle, no participant can take part in more than one Workshop among those offered within the TRIIAL 2 Project.

UNBR will select 40 legal practitioners. After the exhaustion of the 15 in person places, the remaining ones will be allocated to online participation.

For any information on the workshop or doubts concerning the call for application, please contact raluca.bercea@e-uvt.ro and proiecte@unbr.ro

Outcome of the Workshop

■ You will receive a certificate of participation.
■ You will be able to understand and explain the main legal issues relating to the European rule of law (the training’s “core”).
■ You will receive access to all TRIIAL 2 learning materials available in the e-learning platform.

You will also be able:

• to acquire the knowledge on existing relevant caselaw from various member states and the European supranational courts
• to become familiar with the European standards concerning the freedom of expression of lawyers
• to understand the different legal pathways in Europe to protect human rights
• to determine whether the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU is applicable in a certain case or not
• to become part of a network of legal practitioners, activists, and scholars dealing with similar issues that could provide support for future questions.