From 1 to 4 April 2025, the CyberSEE joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe successfully hosted a Regional Judicial Training on Electronic Evidence in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The activity aligned with the CyberSEE project’s objective to support sustainable judicial training in South-East Europe and Türkiye by developing cohesive pools of national trainers. This systematic approach was launched with the Regional workshop in October 2024, aimed at identifying training needs and it has continued with the assessment of development priorities and the identification of potential experts
Over 35 judicial trainers, prosecutors, judges and cybercrime investigators participated and successfully completed the course and gained access to training materials and guides developed by the Council of Europe. By the end of 2025, once they have fully completed the training programme, they will further undertake their preparation through the specialised Training of Trainers (ToT) course. This course will equip them with teaching techniques and learning methods, ensuring they gain the full set of skills needed to deliver training at the domestic level.
The current judicial training provided in-depth insights into the legal, procedural and technical aspects of electronic evidence, while also creating a framework for professional interactions and sharing of good practices. The training included a practical case scenario focused on the admissibility of electronic evidence in court, exploring how it is assessed, challenged and defended. Participants were required to adopt the perspectives of different parties involved in such hearings and engage in debates on digital forensics and the chain of custody.
In light of recent steps taken by the host country, Bosnia and Herzegovina, towards signing the Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) as well as the efforts made by most countries in the region to implement the new provisions, the event also emphasized the importance of harmonizing national legal frameworks with international standards, considering the urgent need of practitioners for access to effective tools and accelerated mechanisms to obtain electronic evidence.
The CyberSEE Project will continue to support the development of judicial capacities across the region, by equipping legal professionals with the skills to handle digital evidence and strengthening the criminal justice response to cybercrime.
Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention)
Second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention
Octopus Cybercrime Community – Training materials, guides, templates