A series of initiatives aimed at enhancing the skills of legal professionals in the Western Balkans in the field of freedom of expression have been conducted. These initiatives focused on specialised capacity building activities for prosecutors and police officers, promoting collaboration between the judiciary and media to improve transparency, and advance the understanding of freedom of expression among legal practitioners.
With the support of the programme a specialised Communication Training Course was designed and delivered for representatives of the State Prosecution and the Police in Montenegro. It was meticulously tailored to equip legal professionals with the advanced communication skills essential for advocating and upholding the principles of justice. In addition, judges and media professionals in Montenegro met in Podgorica for the first time to strengthen collaboration on the dissemination of information from court proceedings.
In Kosovo* to support the already certified judges, prosecutors, and lawyers on protecting freedom of expression, and the developments in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, a capacity-building session was organised in Brezovica with the support of EU and Council of Europe. The participants not only had the opportunity to refresh their knowledge and skills on the topics, but were also better prepared to provide comprehensive training to their peers in the future.
In North Macedonia, in co-operation with the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors and the Bar Association, an advanced training for trainers on freedom of expression, specifically tailored for legal professionals, was launched. It aimed to equip judges, prosecutors and lawyers with the latest tools and knowledge to defend and promote freedom of expression and safety of journalists.
In Serbia, the programme assisted the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection in the organisation of a focus group involving civil society organisations. The activity, aimed at evaluating the law's implementation and identifying potential improvements, with particular emphasis on safeguarding freedom of expression.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, a workshop was organised aiming to address the challenges resulting from the applications of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) from the perspective of journalists and lawyers. The event explored how to integrate the Council of Europe and European Union’s anti SLAPP standards into the local legal frameworks.
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