The joint European Union and Council of Europe action on “Freedom of expression and freedom of the media (JUFREX)”, in co-operation with the Academy of Justice organised a two- day thematic training with judges on Freedom of Expression: defamation and protection of reputation.
The training gathered judges from different municipalities, including Basic Courts from all regions, the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. For two days, the participant had the opportunity to discuss and elaborate on issues related to freedom of expression and media freedom.
Local certified trainers on freedom of expression and international expert discussed with participants the local and international legal and institutional framework, standards of the European Court of Human Rights, and domestic jurisprudence on defamation and protection of journalists. Moreover, the role of self-regulatory and regulatory bodies in cases of defamation was thoroughly discussed and elaborated by its representatives, invited as a speaker to this event.
This initiative is conducted in the framework of the the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”, a joint co-operation of the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe, which aims at assisting Beneficiaries in the Western Balkans region and Turkey to comply with the Council of Europe standards and European Union acquis in the framework of the enlargement process, where relevant.