Digital Justice in Central and Eastern Europe – Achieving Fairness, Accountability and Transparency

 As part of our support for the region’s judges, the Institute has organized our first-large scale online course to provide an overview of the challenges and solutions that technology can provide for courts. The ongoing pandemic has accelerated and heightened the need for digitalization of the courts as they adapt to and cope with various forms of digital justice — including how to manage evidence submitted in electronic form, how to deal with witnesses and parties remotely, and how to conduct virtual hearings — while at the same time continuing to uphold international fair trial standards.

The topics covered in this 5-week course are central to the current debates on the use of technology and digital solutions in the justice sector in the EU. If you are a Judge in Central and Eastern Europe, a Trainee Judge, or Court Personnel, registration is now open for you to join us on April 12.

Asset Recovery and International Cooperation – A Course for Law Enforcement

The purpose of this course is to bring together various aspects of law enforcement training related to corruption and money laundering in order to focus on the identification, location, collection, and return of assets purchased using the illegal proceeds of crime. Often, the identification and forfeiture of assets purchased with illegal proceeds are an afterthought of a corruption or money laundering investigation. The assets are only identified and located when tracing the illegal funds to the purchase of the asset is essential to the charging of a criminal corruption case.
 
However, there are a number of reasons to pursue the recovery of assets purchased using illegal proceeds early in an investigation. A few of these reasons include: concerns the asset will be removed from the investigator’s reach into another jurisdiction; challenges with the collection of evidence connecting the asset to the crime or specified unlawful activity; or legal issues that may prevent the seizure and forfeiture of the asset. However, none of these reasons should deter an investigator from pursuing the return of these assets.

Application Of EU Instruments In Civil Justice

This two-day seminar, organized in cooperation of the CEELI Institute and the Association of Croatian Judges, is designed for active civil judges from EU member countries, focusing on the application of EU instruments in civil justice, and providing access to the full extent of rights guaranteed by EU law.

Specifically, this course focuses on the application of Council Regulations (EC) No. 2201/2003(EU), 2016/1103 and 2016/1104, all of which concern jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility (Brussels IIa), and Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 on promoting free movement of citizens by simplifying the requirements for presenting certain public documents in the EU.

EU Law And Human Rights

In this course, legal practitioners will expand their knowledge and capabilities on the use of EU law to protect human rights throughout Europe. Participants in the course will obtain an in-depth understanding of EU law and Human Rights, learning about topics including:

•  Human rights and civil society protections under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and various national laws
• Procedures for using and triggering Article 7 of the Treaty of the European Union (TEU), which provides for Suspension of Certain Rights of Member States for human rights violations
• How to use EU laws to respond to restrictive national legislation that interferes with the independent operation of the judiciary
• The admissibility of claims before EU Courts
• EU and ECHR case law limiting restrictions of fundamental rights
• How to access relevant EU documents