A two-day training was organised as a follow up to the development of guidebook focusing on practical skills and the protection of human rights standards in criminal proceedings for state funded Legal Aid Service lawyers. 

The Council of Europe expert together with defence counsels explored various matters of defence addressed by the guidebook. During the meeting issues related to the domestic violence; evidence gathering; the right to liberty, a key aspect of the provision of legal assistance, plea-bargaining and pre-trial measures; trial preparation; admissibility, credibility, and disclosure of evidence; jury trials, property rights in criminal proceedings were subject of discussions.

The guidebook provides comprehensive guidance to the lawyers to act in various situations in line with ECHR standards while representing clients in criminal cases.

The training  was organised under the EU/CoE joint Project "Supporting the criminal justice reforms - tackling criminal aspects of the judicial reforms in Georgia" within the framework of the Partnership for Good Governance programme.