The project continued its series of capacity-building activities on European human rights standards for lawyers of the Bar Association in Kosovo*[1]. The latest workshop gathered 60 lawyers from the Mitrovica regional branch to examine the standards and case law of the European Court of Human Rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to respect for private and family life.

Through expert-led discussions and case law analysis, participants strengthened their understanding of the key principles governing the interpretation of Article 8, its scope, permissible interferences in private and family life, links with other Convention provisions, and the state’s positive and negative obligations under this right. The training delved into the core concepts developed by the Strasbourg Court under the private life, including physical, psychological and moral integrity, identity and autonomy, family life, the inviolability of the home, and the protection of correspondence. In parallel, the training explored the approach of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo* to respective Article 36 of the Constitution, highlighting key principles developed in alignment with Article 8 standards.

Participants analysed a range of landmark judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and discussed practical issues such as applying the proportionality test, handling conflicts between Article 8 and other rights, and assessing evidence obtained through potential interferences with privacy.

A dedicated session focused on practical tools for researching and referencing Strasbourg case law. Lawyers were introduced to resources such as the Knowledge Sharing platform of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR-KS), the HUDOC database, case law guides, key themes and thematic factsheets, enhancing their ability to identify and apply relevant jurisprudence in domestic proceedings.

This was the fifth workshop delivered for lawyers since the launch of the project, bringing the total number of trained legal professionals to over 350. Following the training, participants are expected to apply European Court of Human Rights standards more consistently in cases involving Article 8, contributing to stronger protection of private and family life and greater alignment between domestic practice and European human rights jurisprudence. Through its regional approach, the project ensures equal access to training opportunities across all Bar Association branches, supporting a more coherent application of Convention standards among lawyers, judges and prosecutors.