The HELP course on Child-friendly justice was launched on 1 April in Podgorica for a selected group of 54 Montenegrin judges and prosecutors in cooperation with the Centre for Training in Judiciary and State Prosecution. Following the recent changes in the Montenegrin legislation in the field of protection of children and child-friendly justice, the HELP course responds to the need of legal professionals to be familiar with the relevant European standards.

Participants were welcomed by Angela Longo, Head of Operation of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica and Senka Danilović, President of the Steering Committee of the Training Centre.

A presentation on the mandate and achievements of UNICEF was delivered by Nela Krnić, Child Protection Office, UNICEF Country Office for Montenegro. Participants were introduced to several guiding principles including the need to ensure a child-centred and holistic approach by all actors involved. 

Moreover, participants could benefit from an overview of the case law of the European Court of Human Rights in the field of children’s rights by Natasha Kravchuk, member of the Working Group in charge of the development of the HELP course on Child-friendly justice. 

Following the launching event, the HELP course will be implemented over a 2-months period through the HELP online platform. It will be tutored by Milenka Žižić, Appellate Court Judge, and Danka Djerić, Public Prosecutor.

The HELP course on Child-friendly justice was developed in 2017 as a joint initiative between the Council of Europe Children’s Rights Division and the HELP Programme with the aim to strengthen and harmonise the knowledge of the relevant European standards on child-friendly justice across the Council of Europe member states (by focusing on the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Guidelines on Child-friendly justice).

 HELP course on Child-friendly justice: Albanian - English - Georgian - Ukrainian