A Regional Summer School for law students brought together 30 law students from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo1, addressing digital and sexual violence against women. It was held in Trebinje from 6 to 10 July.
Participants were introduced to the relevant standards established under the European Convention on Human Rights and the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention. Particular attention was devoted to technology-facilitated violence against women, including cyberstalking, online harassment, doxing, the non-consensual sharing of intimate images and AI-generated deepfake content, as well as to the fundamental role of freely given consent in addressing sexual violence.
The sessions also examined the evolving case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and States’ positive obligations to prevent, investigate and prosecute violence against women.
Through interactive lectures, case studies, practical exercises and group discussions, participants applied international human rights standards to realistic legal scenarios. The programme concluded with a moot court competition, during which students presented arguments in a simulated human rights case before panels of legal experts, strengthening their legal reasoning, advocacy and teamwork skills. The Summer School provided a platform for regional exchange, peer learning and cooperation among future legal professionals from across the Western Balkans.
The Summer School was organised within the framework of the projects "Support to a Coherent National Implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights and Facilitating Execution of European Court of Human Rights Judgments in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Phase II" and "Strengthening Bosnia and Herzegovina's Responses to Digital and Sexual Violence against Women", implemented by the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo.
The activity was organised in cooperation with the Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye and the following Council of Europe actions: "Strengthening the Capacities of the Albanian Judiciary to Better Apply Standards on the Right to Liberty and Security", "Enhancing Judicial Protection of Human Rights" (Kosovo1), "Strengthening Accountability of the Judicial System and Enhancing Protection of Victims' Rights in Montenegro", "Towards a Consolidated and More Efficient Free Legal Aid System in North Macedonia", and "Strengthening Human Rights Protection in Serbia".
[1] All reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.
