OSCE Skopje Mission and Council of Europe train lawyers on Strasbourg court procedures
(CoE)Judges of the Strasburg-based European Court for Human Rights. (CoE) Photo details
SKOPJE, 7 October 2004 - A three-day training course aimed at familiarising lawyers with the European Convention on Human Rights and complaint procedures of the Strasburg-based European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) began today in Ohrid.
The training course will enable domestic lawyers to more effectively identify and process human rights violation cases, and where necessary, initiate proceedings before the ECHR.
Twenty-five professional lawyers working in private practices, state institutions and non-governmental organizations, who are dealing with human rights violations are attending the course. It is jointly organized by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje and the Council of Europe.
"Our field observations have revealed a need to increase the capacity of the country's lawyers to handle cases of alleged abuse by state authorities," said Victor Ullom, Head of the OSCE Mission's Rule of Law Unit.
"Certain cases, if not rectified properly by domestic authorities, might eventually be considered as human rights violations falling under the jurisdiction of the European Court."
He added: "There is a need to build on the ability to identify human rights violations, to use the appropriate domestic legal remedies, but also eventually to file a complaint with the ECHR if the lawyer believes that a violation has occurred."
National and international experts will provide a number of background lectures and case studies at the training course, which is held at the Hotel Granit. Participants will also conduct a simulated a trial at the Strasbourg court.
The training course will enable domestic lawyers to more effectively identify and process human rights violation cases, and where necessary, initiate proceedings before the ECHR.
Twenty-five professional lawyers working in private practices, state institutions and non-governmental organizations, who are dealing with human rights violations are attending the course. It is jointly organized by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje and the Council of Europe.
"Our field observations have revealed a need to increase the capacity of the country's lawyers to handle cases of alleged abuse by state authorities," said Victor Ullom, Head of the OSCE Mission's Rule of Law Unit.
"Certain cases, if not rectified properly by domestic authorities, might eventually be considered as human rights violations falling under the jurisdiction of the European Court."
He added: "There is a need to build on the ability to identify human rights violations, to use the appropriate domestic legal remedies, but also eventually to file a complaint with the ECHR if the lawyer believes that a violation has occurred."
National and international experts will provide a number of background lectures and case studies at the training course, which is held at the Hotel Granit. Participants will also conduct a simulated a trial at the Strasbourg court.