On 1 November 2023, the Council of Europe and the Justice Academy of Türkiye, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Family and Social Services, have launched a three-day long International Symposium on Family Law. The event is being organised under the EU-CoE Joint Project “Improving the Effectiveness of Family Courts: Better Protection of the Rights of Family Members”.
The Symposium brought together 320 national and international participants from a broad spectrum of stakeholders to discuss the work of family courts in protecting the rights of women, children and other family members.
President of the Republic of Türkiye, Mr Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN, has sent a courtesy message to the participants of the event.
The opening speeches were delivered by Minister of Justice, Mr Yılmaz TUNÇ, Minister of Family and Social Services, Ms Mahinur ÖZDEMİR GÖKTAŞ, President of the Justice Academy, Mr Muhittin ÖZDEMİR, Head of Cooperation in the Delegation of EU to Türkiye, Mr Odoardo COMO, Head of Department for the Implementation of Human Rights, Justice and Legal Co-operation Standards in the Council of Europe, Mr Frédéric DOLT, and Head of Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara, Mr William MASSOLIN.
The discussions under eight different panel sessions during the Symposium will be based on the results of the work implemented jointly by the Justice Academy and the Council of Europe since 2021 when the Project was launched.
The event will draw attention of the participants to the issues effecting the lives of vulnerable groups in family disputes and raise awareness of relevant international standards. Panel discussions to be held during the conference will focus on the shortcomings in the divorce proceedings, recent reforms in Europe alternative to fault-based divorce, a court-based family mediation model, and assessing needs for legal amendments in areas requiring enhancement of the effectiveness of family courts and upholding the rights of family members in divorce procedures.
The “Improving the Effectiveness of Family Courts: Better Protection of the Rights of Family Members” Project is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe and Justice Academy of Türkiye. The Project aims to ensure that the rule of law and fundamental rights in Türkiye are fully in line with international and European standards and to improve the effectiveness of family courts in protecting the rights of women, children, and other family members.
