Study Visit to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg – France (May 12 – 16, 2013)

Study Visit to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg – France
(May 12 – 16, 2013)

Kosovo Judicial Institute in cooperation and financial support from the DEUTSCH STIFTUNG FUR INTERNATIONALE RECHTLICHE Zusammenarbeit (IRZ), from May 12 until May 16, 2013 organized a study visit to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The visiting delegation was consisted of five KJI Trainers among them judges, prosecutors and KJI official such (KJI Director, Deputy Chief Special Prosecutor, a Judge of the Basic Court, a Prosecutor from the Basic Persecution Office and the Permanent KJI Trainer). 
The visit was intended the advancement of the content of the curricula and the training methodology of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) and other legislation on human rights which are part of the Kosovo Judicial Institute.
First the delegation conducted a visit to the Council of Europe, where they met with senior officials who discussed the steps that should be taken by the judicial authorities of Kosovo in preparation of the capacities to meet the criteria and standards required by the CoE, before the membership. 
Of particular benefit were the meetings conducted with judges and professional from Albania employed at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). During their presentation were highlighted the main features of the ECHR, the work through all the cases referred to Albania by resolving those cases according to articles and protocols of the ECHR. Also the work of the ECHR in recent years was introduced, including the challenges that accompanied the court and in detail were introduced the obligations of the Member States of CoE in the process of execution of judgments of the ECHR through some typical cases that involved Albania. 
Besides the meetings, the KJI trainers followed also a trial conducted at the Grand Chamber of the ECHR. This case was followed with great interest because the decision that will be issued will have effects for other member states-parties to the ECHR. 
Quite valuable was also the presentation of the ECHR judge from Germany who explained the complicated cases decided by the ECHR concerning different countries such as cases from the UK, France, Italy, Ukraine, Kosovo, etc.
Participants of this visit had the opportunity to visit the library of the ECHR, where its director explained in details the work and achievements of this library, methods of classification of books, magazines and other publications in the library.