“The tools and guidance we received will help us support survivors more confidently and responsibly, ensuring their safety and dignity remain at the centre of our legal assistance,” - noted one of the participants, highlighting the workshop’s impact on their work within legal clinics.

Victim-centred legal assistance, trauma-informed practices, and international human rights mechanisms were the focus of a two-day workshop for representatives of university legal aid clinics from across Georgia, organised by the Council of Europe in Tbilisi. The meeting brought together clinic directors, supervisors, and senior law students to strengthen their skills in providing ethical, rights-based support to the victims of violence against women and domestic violence.

Through expert-led sessions, participants explored how to apply trauma-informed approaches from first contact with a victim through to representation in national and international proceedings. Sessions also covered Georgia’s legal frameworks on violence against women and domestic violence, case assessment, risk analysis, safeguarding, and the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) tailored to clinic needs.

A key part of the programme focused on strengthening clinics' capacity to engage with international human rights mechanisms. Participants worked through practical exercises on identifying, assessing, and developing strategic cases for litigation before the European Court of Human Rights and UN treaty bodies, including considerations of jurisdiction, admissibility, interim measures, and partnerships with civil society. Participants also explored international good practices from legal aid clinics in Europe and beyond, identifying models and approaches that could be adapted to the Georgian context.

The workshop concluded with the development of clinic improvement plans, setting out concrete steps to reinforce support systems, enhance cooperation, and promote the long-term growth of university legal aid clinics throughout Georgia.

The workshop was organised in the framework of the project “Reinforcing gender equality and implementing GREVIO recommendations to combat violence against women and domestic violence in Georgia”. The Project is a part of the Council of Europe Action Plan to Georgia 2024-2027.