Fifteen judges from the Basic Courts, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court took part in a two-day training supported by the European Union and the Council of Europe. The training aimed to help them apply European standards on freedom of expression and media freedom in their court decisions.

Organised in co-operation with the Academy of Justice, the activity focused on key aspects of freedom of expression, including protection of reputation, defamation and insult, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), access to public documents and protection of whistleblowers.

Attention was dedicated to the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, notably the balancing of the right to respect for private life (under Article 8) and freedom of expression (under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights). Participants also examined relevant domestic legislation and judicial practice, with a view to strengthening the application of European standards in their daily work.

Through interactive discussions, practical exercises and case studies, judges could analyse complex legal scenarios, exchange experiences and strengthen their skills in applying European human rights standards.

The activity is implemented by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression organised within the framework of the action “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media (PRO-FREX)” under the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”