From 30 January to 3 February, twelve legal professionals from the Constitutional Court of Kosovo*[1] participated in a study visit in Lisbon, Portugal. The visit was organised in the framework of the Project “Support to the Constitutional Court in Applying and Disseminating European Human Rights Standards”. The aim of the study visit was to strengthen the international cooperation of the beneficiary Constitutional Court of Kosovo* and to support peer-to-peer exchanges between constitutional courts in Europe.

During the three-day visit, judges and legal advisors from the Constitutional Court of Kosovo* engaged in professional interaction and exchange with colleagues from the highest courts in Portugal, including the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Administrative Court and the Supreme Court of Justice. As part of the visit, the participants met with members of the Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees and discussed the Constitutional Court's review of parliamentary legislation and its impact on the parliamentary legislative process.

The main part of the programme consisted of several working sessions and substantive bilateral interactions with judges and lawyers of the Constitutional Court of Portugal, through analysis of case law and lessons learned from the practice of two peer institutions. The constitutional review of norms embedded in legislation and the recent jurisprudence of two courts were the main topics of discussion and exchange. Particular attention was paid to the protection of human rights during the COVID-19 state of emergency and jurisprudence resulting from government restrictions. The participants also learned about the cooperation and interaction between the two judicial institutions of last instance, the Supreme Court of Justice and the Supreme Administrative Court, and the Constitutional Court.

As a result of the study visit, concrete follow-up arrangements and future cooperation were agreed between the counterparts, aiming to build on the qualitative outcomes of this fruitful exchange.