In close cooperation with the Academy of Justice, JUFREX has organised a two-day training with judges and prosecutors. Around 30 participants including judges, prosecutors and trainers participated in the training. The group was comprised of representatives of both Serb and Albanian communities and men and women were equally represented. The training was conceptualized in four parts, which included legal framework on defamation, institutional framework and European Court of Human Rights standards on defamation. The last part consisted in organising a moot court on defamation. 

The training was delivered by two local certified trainers and one international expert. 

The presentation on ECtHR standards grabbed the attention of participants the most. By referring to article 10 of the European Court of Human Rights and specific case law, the expert elaborated the best standards on various aspects of defamation. 

The moot court, which took place in form of lively discussions, was facilitated by all experts. A concrete case was prepared in advance for moot court purposes. The second day was concluded with active participation of all those present in discussions and conclusions.

The training was based entirely on the methodologies foreseen with the training handbook drafted by JUFREX experts translated into Albanian language. In general, the training was delivered in a very interactive way, thus allowing the participants to engage in discussions throughout the training.

One of the most ‘attractive’ topics was discussing ethical standards applied or not applied by the media. Participants explored available measures to address ethical violation of media, including state regulatory and self-regulatory media bodies. There were excellent discussions with judges and prosecutors on how they perceive their role in society compared to the media. 

This event was implemented with the financial assistance of the European Union and the Council of Europe. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.