In a collaborative effort to strengthen the judicial protection of freedom of expression in Bosnia and Herzegovina, judges from nine different courts namely from Sarajevo, Mostar, Konjic, Tuzla, Banja Luka, Sokolac, Modriča, Gradiška and Trebinje,  raised their capacities on domestic and European legal standards on defamation. The training focused on the domestic legal framework, including the recent reintroduction of criminal sanctions in Republika Srpska, all within the context of European Standards.

The judges also participated in case studies derived from the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A significant part of the training was dedicated to understanding Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), which are increasingly used to silence journalists and the media. The judges were equipped with the necessary legal tools to handle such cases effectively.

The training also included the testimony of a journalist who had faced multiple lawsuits due to her investigative work. Her insights were invaluable in enhancing the judicial system’s understanding of this phenomenon.

The training was organised, in co-operation with the Centres for judicial and prosecutorial training of the two Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, within the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (Horizontal Facility III), within the action “Protection of Freedom of Expression and the Media in Bosnia and Herzegovina – PROFREX”.