The Regional School of Human Rights brought together 11 law students from 6 Western Balkan jurisdictions, including Albania, for an immersive four-day programme in Trebinje. They explored the intricacies of property rights under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) through a mix of theory and practice. The intensive programme offered a unique opportunity to enhance their legal knowledge, develop practical skills, and exchange perspectives across borders.
Organised under the theme “Rights, Land, and Limits: Exploring A1P1 of the ECHR”, the school featured expert-led lectures, case study workshops, and a final moot court exercise. Law students engaged with complex legal concepts such as proportionality, the autonomous meaning of property, and balancing public and private interests.
The Albanian participant Misenida Bica, supported by D-REX III action, volunteers with the NGO Tirana Legal Aid Society, where she contributes to the Helpline by offering free legal assistance to citizens. This initiative, also supported by the D-REX III action, reflects the ongoing commitment to equipping young professionals with the practical skills and legal expertise necessary to assist Albanian citizens in exercising and protecting their right to property. Strengthening such capacities is a vital component of ensuring access to justice and the effective application of human rights standards at the domestic level.
The programme concluded with a moot court competition simulating proceedings before the European Court, giving students practical insights into legal reasoning and human rights litigation, thus reaffirming the Council of Europe’s focus on empowering youth and fostering a generation of legally equipped, rights-conscious professionals.
This activity was implemented by the action Improving the protection of the right to property and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Albania (D-REX III), part of the regional joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe – Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, in cooperation with the action Support to the Constitutional Court in Applying and Disseminating European Human Rights Standards – Phase II, and the action Support to a coherent national implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
