The project continued its series of capacity-building activities on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the right to respect for private and family life. Last Saturday, a workshop was organised for lawyers of the regional branch of the Bar Association in Peja/Peć. The event attracted significant interest of legal professionals in that region, with nearly 80 participants attending the training session.

Through interactive discussions and analysis of the case law, participants strengthened their understanding of the key concepts under the right to private and family life and reflected on their application in domestic legal practice. The workshop addressed the general principles governing the interpretation of Article 8 of the Convention, and delved into its scope, structure and main components including private life, family life, home and correspondence.

Particular attention was given to the relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo*[1] in this field. Participants discussed the interpretation of private life, including physical and psychological integrity, identity, autonomy and privacy, as well as the notion of family life, the protection of the home and the confidentiality of correspondence. Through the review of selected judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, participants examined the factual background, legal reasoning and key principles relevant for domestic adjudication, with the aim of enhancing consistency of judicial decision-making with Convention standards.  

The training also focused on practical tools for identifying and applying the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. Lawyers were introduced to resources supporting the use of Convention standards in domestic courts, including the knowledge sharing platform ECHR-KS, HUDOC database and search tools, Case law Guides, Key Themes and Thematic Factsheets maintained by the Court in Strasbourg. This session aimed at strengthening participants’ capacity to efficiently locate relevant jurisprudence and apply it in their daily work. All participants received training materials and a compilation of relevant case law for further reference.

This workshop marked the third training organised with lawyers of the Bar Association within the new project cycle. So far, more than 200 legal professionals have been trained on the scope and practical application of the right to respect for private and family life. Following a regional approach, the project aims to reach lawyers in all seven regional branches of the Bar Association in Kosovo*.