Candidate and serving magistrates gathered in Tirana for the launch of the Council of Europe’s HELP course on Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to liberty and security. Adapted to the Albanian legislation and case-law, the HELP course reflects also the legal and institutional context in the country. The HELP secretariat introduced the HELP program, particularly its longstanding contribution in the Western Balkans.

Participants can follow the course online at their own pace, with support from a dedicated mentor, who helped adapt the course to the Albanian context.

The course is relevant not only to magistrates, but also to other legal professionals whose work may involve the right to liberty and security. Article 5 is a key guarantee under the European Convention on Human Rights, and the course offers participants an opportunity to strengthen their understanding of this important and current area of human rights law.

By introducing the adapted course, the Council of Europe and the School of Magistrates support continued learning on European human rights standards among the Albania judiciary.

This activity was organised jointly by the School of Magistrates and the Council of Europe’s project on Strengthening the capacities of the Albanian judiciary to better apply standards on the right to liberty and security, funded by the Human Rights Trust Fund (HRTF) which brings together eight Council of Europe member states: Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom.