Evening commemorating the Soviet mass deportations from the Baltic states

Večer u příležitosti 74. výročí sovětských masových deportací obyvatel Baltských zemí ze 14. června 1941, který ve spolupráci s CEELI institutem pořádají velvyslanectví Estonské, Litevské a Lotyšské republiky. Od 18.00 bude otevřena

Večer u příležitosti 74. výročí sovětských masových deportací obyvatel Baltských zemí ze 14. června 1941, který ve spolupráci s CEELI institutem pořádají velvyslanectví Estonské, Litevské a Lotyšské republiky.

Od 18.00 bude otevřena výstava „Dopisy ze Sibiře napsané na březové kůře“. Dopisy na březové kůře byly v roce 2009 zařazeny do lotyšského národního registru v rámci programu UNESCO „Paměť světa“.

Od 19.00 bude promítán dokumentární film Děti ledu (rež. Justinas Lingys, Litva, 2011, 28 min´). Dokument připomene životy a osudy dětí z Baltských zemí, které byly deportovány nebo se v důsledku sovětských represí v deportaci narodily. Jedná se o mezinárodní projekt, který realizoval litevsko-švédsko-lotyšský tým. plotagraph pro full
Největší důraz tvůrci filmu kladli na problematiku vlivu deportací na pohled na svět, formování systému humanistických hodnot a národní identitu dětí.

Po promítání bude následovat debata s rusistou, publicistou a předsedou občanského sdružení Gulag.cz Štěpánem Černouškem, s očitou svědkyní deportací z roku 1941 paní Ehou Tamm, která byla ve věku peti let spolu s matkou deportována do Tomské oblasti. avast anti track premium license key

Film bude promítán v anglickém znění s českými titulky. Následná diskuse bude probíhat v anglickém jazyce.

Vstup volný. Potvrďte prosím svou účast na embassy.czech@mfa.gov.lv.

Nejen tuto naši akci, ale i mnoho dalších evropských kulturních akcí najdete v aplikaci #EUNIC app! Download iOS http://goo.gl/F9VTGo / Android:http://goo.gl/g5DP3T.

——————————————————

The evening is held on the occasion of the 74th anniversary of the Soviet mass deportations from the Baltic States that began June 14, 1941, and is organized by Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian embassies in cooperation with the CEELI Institute.

Starting 18.00, in the foyer of Villa Grébovka, the exhibition “Birch Bark Letters from Siberia” will be opened to the public. In 2009, the “Birch Bark Letters from Siberia” were added to the UNESCO “Memory of the World” national register of Latvia.

At 19.00, there will be a screening of the documentary film “Children of the Ice” (dir. Justinas Lingys, LT, 2011, 28 min.). The film will recall the life and destiny of the children from the Baltic States that were deported or born in the place of deportation as a consequence of the Soviet deportations. “Children of the Ice” is an international project realized by a Lithuanian, Swedish and Latvian team. The primary focus of the film’s creators was to show the influence deportations had on the formation of the affected children’s system of humanist values, national identity and their worldview.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with an expert on the topic of Russia, journalist and chairman of the citizens’ association Gulag.cz, Štěpán Černoušek. Mrs. Eha Tamm, a direct witness of the deportation from 1941, who at the age of 5 was deported to the Tomsk region together with her mother, will also be joining the discussion.

Movie will be screened in English with Czech subtitles. Following discussion will be held in English.

The entrance is free. Please confirm your participation at embassy.czech@mfa.gov.lv.

You can find this event and many other cultural events of the European cultural institutes through the application #EUNIC app! Download iOShttp://goo.gl/F9VTGo / Android: http://goo.gl/g5DP3T.

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Anti-Corruption Programs at the Institute: Fall Course Wrap-up

By Lauriane Labourel / December 2, 2016
From November 14th-18th, 2016 the CEELI Institute organized its sixth round of training on “Investigating and Prosecuting Official Corruption.” The interactive five-day program brought together an extraordinary faculty line-up consisting of some of the world’s most experienced anti-corruption prosecutors, forensic accountants, and practitioners including Andrew Levchuk, former DoJ officer and current counsel to Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP, Jagvinder Brar and Michael Peer, forensic accountants with KPMG, and John Griffith, Associate General Counsel in the Office of Global Compliance at Weatherford. Together they provided participants with a comprehensive framework for investigating and prosecuting official corruption. The program was attended by 32 prosecutors, investigators, and judges from six countries – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine – as...
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Letter from the Executive Director

Letter from the Executive Director

By Lauriane Labourel / November 30, 2016
The CEELI Institute has long been a leader in innovative and effective judicial programming. We continue to work with judges from around the world, through programs designed to promote judicial independence, strengthen judicial accountability and improve judicial performance. We also provide a unique venue to foster judicial exchanges and engagement, in a safe, comfortable and neutral setting at our headquarters in Prague. As a result of our almost two decades or work, the CEELI Institute maintains deep connections with the judiciaries of the region and beyond. Among our representative projects for 2017 will be our continued support for the Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe, to be hosted next year by the Supreme Court of Hungary. We...
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CEELI Develops Tools for Judges

CEELI Develops Tools for Judges

By Lauriane Labourel / November 29, 2016
The CEELI Institute continues its work with its core working group of judges from across Central and Eastern Europe to revise, expand and edit the Institute’s Manual on Independence, Impartiality and Integrity of Justice. The Manual is a unique tool, representing a systematic survey of virtually all relevant international standards applicable to the function, performance and operation of the judiciary. It cross-references over 130 international conventions and other sources of public international law, organizing relevant sources according to thematic categories of interest and use to judges in their work. The tool is, in short, a map to the judicial profession and the international standards that underpin it. The Manual represents an extraordinary commitment of time and effort by the Working...
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Supporting the Croatian Judiciary: Facilitating Attention to and Adoption of European Jurisprudence

Supporting the Croatian Judiciary: Facilitating Attention to and Adoption of European Jurisprudence

By Lauriane Labourel / November 29, 2016
In late September, the CEELI Institute was again be able to support the efforts of the Croatian Judiciary as it grapples with challenges related to the independence and impartiality of justice—both of which continue to be under challenge in the region. Content of the program was particularly framed around Opinion No. 18 of Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) addressing “the position of the judiciary and its relation with other powers of state in a modern democracy.” Discussions were further augmented by reference to relevant case decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the concepts of impartiality and independence articulated and defined therein. Such discussions are particularly relevant in the region, as working level judges are not, contrary...
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Empowering Tunisian Judges

Empowering Tunisian Judges

By Lauriane Labourel / November 29, 2016
The CEELI Institute is continuing its long work with the Tunisian judiciary, now focusing on a selected group of the most proactive judges from the sessions conducted over the past three years (2013-2015). This new phase of our engagement addresses public trust in the judiciary - a topic selected by the judges themselves. The participating judges have prioritized several aspects crucial for public trust in the judiciary, including relationship with the media, and greater outreach and educational programs for university and high school students. The judges are also committed to work on a judicial code of conduct, which they recognize will be helpful tool in garnering public trust. CEELI has worked with the judges to create relevant working groups, and...
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Judges and the Media

Judges and the Media

By Lauriane Labourel / November 29, 2016
An increasingly important aspect of the CEELI Institute’s continuing engagement with judiciaries across the region involves exploration of the relationships between the judiciary and the media. Discussions and materials addressing this topic is in high demand among judges who are faced with increasing media pressures, especially while handling political sensitive cases and high level corruption cases. Judges must also increasingly negotiate the potential pitfalls surrounding the use of social media platforms. Judges are concerned about their rights to privacy in an age of increasing media attention, and are also unclear on where the boundaries should be set in dealing with the press. They are also challenged in balancing the public’s interest against the rights of the parties before the court....
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Promoting Judicial Independence in Central and Eastern Europe

Promoting Judicial Independence in Central and Eastern Europe

By Lauriane Labourel / November 29, 2016
As part of our continuing engagement with the judiciaries from across the Central and East European region, the CEELI Institute recently co-sponsored an event, in cooperation with the Supreme Court of Macedonia addressing the ongoing challenges to judicial independence across the region—both within and without the EU. The program, held in late October, at Lake Ohrid, drew over 70 participants, including judges from Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia and Slovenia. The event provided a critically important platform for judges to exchange views and experiences in how best to respond to increasing external pressures on the judiciary. Particular attention was devoted to how judges can most effectively cope with pressures from the media, from the government...
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Supporting Judges on the Front Lines in Combating Terrorism

Supporting Judges on the Front Lines in Combating Terrorism

By Lauriane Labourel / November 28, 2016
In October, the CEELI Institute continued its ongoing efforts to support judges in countries on the front lines in the fight against terrorism, with support from the US Department of State’s Counterterrorism Bureau. This latest program brought together judges from the Middle East and North Africa--specifically, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Lebanon--along with judicial counterparts from the US and Germany for the intensive three day exchange on useful practices for judges faced with adjudicating cases involving terrorism and national security issues. Our program curriculum again followed the format we developed for previous trainings provided to judges and prosecutors in the Western Balkans, relying on The Hague Memorandum on Good Practices for the Judiciary in Adjudicating Terrorism Offenses, a Good Practice...
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Justice Kennedy Joins CEELI/IBA Event

Justice Kennedy Joins CEELI/IBA Event

By Lauriane Labourel / October 6, 2016
The CEELI Institute was delighted to join with the IBA in hosting U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy on September 23, in Washington, DC, at the IBA Rule of Law Forum. CEELI Institute Founder and Board Chair Homer Moyer moderated a discussion with the Justice on issues related to the role of the judiciary, the meaning of the Rule of Law, and the application of international law as a reference point for the Court. The Justice also took questions from the audience.  It was an inspirational and informative session, and we were thrilled to be a part of it.
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NGOs as Judicial Watchdogs: A New Report and Recommendations

NGOs as Judicial Watchdogs: A New Report and Recommendations

By Lauriane Labourel / September 29, 2016
The CEELI Institute is gratified to have participated in the preparation of a landmark effort to promote and define the role of NGOs in monitoring court proceedings and the function of the judiciary. The final project report, NGOs and the Judiciary: Watchdog Activities, Interactions, Collaboration, and Communication, was recently published by the Warsaw based Polish NGO, the Institute for Law and Society (INPRIS). The publication represents the culmination of a two-year effort, funded by the International Visegrad Fund (www.visegradfund.org) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. The CEELI Institute was one of six key NGOS contributing to this effort, along with counterparts in Poland, Slovakia, Albania, Macedonia and Serbia. The report establishes key recommendations and good...
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CEELI at The Hague: An Update on CEELI Judicial Tools

CEELI at The Hague: An Update on CEELI Judicial Tools

By Lauriane Labourel / September 29, 2016
CEELI Institute Executive Director Christopher Lehmann and Judge Cristi Danilet from Romania recently led a panel at the Annual Conference of the International Association of Administrative Courts (IACA) held in the The Hague in May, where they were asked to present the CEELI Institute’s The Manual on Independence, Impartiality and Integrity of Justice. The Manual is a unique tool, representing a systematic survey of virtually all relevant international standards applicable to the function, performance and operation of the judiciary. It cross-references over 130 international conventions and other sources of public international law, organizing relevant sources according to thematic categories of interest and use to judges in their work. The tool is, in short, a map to the judicial profession and...
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US and Pakistani Judges Meet at the CEELI Institute

US and Pakistani Judges Meet at the CEELI Institute

By Lauriane Labourel / September 29, 2016
The CEELI Institute was delighted to recently welcome our first-ever delegation from Pakistan. In late August, the US Embassy in Islamabad (INL), the US Department of Justice (OPDAT) and the US Federal Judicial Center organized a joint exchange at the Institute bringing together Judges of the Lahore High Court (Punjab Province) and the US federal judiciary for several days of in-depth dialogue on issues of case management and court administration.  Among those participating in the discussions was Federal Judicial Center Director, Judge Jeremy Fogel.
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Belgrade: The 2016 Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe

Belgrade: The 2016 Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe

By Lauriane Labourel / September 29, 2016
The CEELI Institute was delighted to again support the work of the Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe, which was hosted in June of this year, in Belgrade, by the Supreme Cassational Court of Serbia.  The Conference is now a self-sustaining body that has met annually since its inception in 2011, allowing the Chief Justices to discuss common challenges, share ideas and work towards solutions. This year saw two additional signatories—Serbia and Georgia-- to the Conference’s Statement of Principles of the Independence of the Judiciary, known now as the Brijuni Statement (due to its original drafting and signing in 2015 at the Croatian seaside town of Brijuni).  That statement reaffirms regional commitments to judicial independence and the...
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Belgrade: CEELI supports this year’s Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe

Belgrade: CEELI supports this year’s Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe

By Lauriane Labourel / July 21, 2016
The CEELI Institute we delighted to support this year’s Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe, held in Belgrade on June 20-22, and hosted by the Supreme Cassational Court of Serbia. The Conference of Chief Justices is a self-sustaining organization whose members lead the judiciaries of twenty-three nations from the Baltic Sea to the Caucasus. The Conference meets annually in one of the member countries to address the many common challenges faced by the Chief Justices in improving their countries’ judiciaries, promoting judicial independence, strengthening integrity and accountability, improving court management, fighting corruption, and building public support for the courts. The CEELI Institute has been honored to support the work and mission of the Conference since its inception...
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CEELI Institute Annual Meeting 2016 Wrap-Up

CEELI Institute Annual Meeting 2016 Wrap-Up

By Lauriane Labourel / July 14, 2016
The Villa Grébovka was packed with friends and colleagues from around the world for the Institute’s Annual Meeting on June 26th-28th, 2016. Board members, faculty, donors, former CEELI alums, and many more friends and colleagues came together in Prague for an opportunity to review our efforts over the past year, and to look ahead to programs for the coming year. This year’s meeting focused particularly on the ongoing challenges involved in delivering assistance in environments that are experiencing deliberate repression of civil society. Attention was given not just to the problems, but to possible solutions, including examination of effective strategies for delivering development assistance and supporting civil society in the face of hostile environments and government repression. We were particularly...
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Promoting Good Practices for Terrorism Adjudication in the Balkans

Promoting Good Practices for Terrorism Adjudication in the Balkans

By Lauriane Labourel / July 14, 2016
In June, the CEELI Institute continued its efforts on a multi-year program to engage judges handling complex cases involving issues of terrorism and national security, including the increasingly serious threats posed in Europe by the transit of foreign terrorist fighters. The program, which aims to promote understanding and use of relevant international “good practices” for judges on these matters, including particularly the Global Counter-terrorism Forum’s (GCTF) Hague Memorandum Good Practices for the Judiciary in Adjudicating Terrorism Offenses, convened a group of 21 judges from the Western Balkans for a 3-day session form June 15-17. Judges from Albania, Bosnia electrax crack and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia, as well as prosecutors from Macedonia, were present at the session which...
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Promoting Judicial Accountability in Central Europe

Promoting Judicial Accountability in Central Europe

By Lauriane Labourel / June 13, 2016
The CEELI Institute recently completed its partnership with the Polish Institute for Law and Society (INPRIS) on a project to promote better interaction between civil society and the judiciary in central and southeastern Europe. The project was funded by the International Visegrad Fund and the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the Visegrad Group, or V-4, consists of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia). The project, entitled “NGOs and the Judiciary – Watchdog Activities, Interactions, Collaboration, and Communication”, aimed to gather and share good practices designed to ensure more effective cooperation between NGOs and the judiciary, especially in cases where civil society and NGO projects involve civic monitoring of judiciary. The ultimate goal is to encourage the judiciary to view...
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Trial Skills and Legal Transformation Trainings in Burma

Trial Skills and Legal Transformation Trainings in Burma

By Lauriane Labourel / June 13, 2016
The CEELI Institute, together with Burma Center Prague (BCP), continues its effort to train young lawyers in Burma, under the auspices of the Myanmar Lawyers Network.  The most recent sessions were delivered in May 2016.  The most recent programs took place among a dramatically changing political landscape following the landslide victory of the National League for Democracy in November 2015, which in turn began paving the way for democracy and the return to power of iconic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. In addition to the continuing focus on building practical trial skills, the trainings focused on aspects of political and legal transformation (an issue that is at last possible to address entirely openly in the country) as well as the...
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Please Join us for the CEELI Institute Annual Meeting June 26-27, 2016

Please Join us for the CEELI Institute Annual Meeting June 26-27, 2016

By Lauriane Labourel / June 13, 2016
Please join us in Prague on June 26-27 for the CEELI Institute 2016 Annual Meeting. Our theme this year will focus on one of the biggest challenges now facing the international development community: effective strategies for delivering Rule of Law developmental assistance in increasingly difficult political environments. We have an exciting line up of panelists, drawn from the international development community, and from the ranks of those currently struggling on the front lines to keep the Rule of Law alive under repressive conditions. As always, we expect this year’s meeting to bring together an exciting mix of activists, academicians, diplomats, government officials and experts, as well as our board members, partners, and friends. The gathering allows us the luminar 2018...
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Respite Program for Human Rights Defenders at the Villa Grebovka

Respite Program for Human Rights Defenders at the Villa Grebovka

By Lauriane Labourel / June 13, 2016
The CEELI Institute continues to expand its successful program to provide respite stays for human rights defenders working under pressure and in extreme situations. Since initiating the project in summer 2015, the Institute has now hosted seven of these brave and inspiring human rights attorneys through the program. Respite stay participants, to date, have worked in areas of anti-torture litigation, access to information, NGO defense, children's rights, and freedom of expression. Each participant creates his or her own program based on their interests and amount of time they will spend at the Institute. Examples of past projects have included learning documentary film making skills (for use in documenting and filming torture victim testimonies), providing interviews with international media on their...
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Tunisia: Training on Corruption Investigations in the Area of Permits and Licenses

Tunisia: Training on Corruption Investigations in the Area of Permits and Licenses

By Lauriane Labourel / June 13, 2016
In April 2016, the CEELI Institute delivered another of its series of anti-corruption trainings organized for Tunisian stakeholders in cooperation with the Tunisian National Anti-Corruption Agency (INLUCC). The session focused on detecting corruption and fraud in the issuance of government permits and licenses. Once again, we were able to secure outstanding international faculty for the program. Dan Newcomb is the founder of the Anti-Corruption group at the global law firm Shearman & Sterling, and has participated in numerous high-profile cases, including the investigation into the marketing practices of Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, which was a precursor to the enactment of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Helge Kvamme is a partner with Selmer, a Norwegian Law Firm, and is a former...
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Anti-Corruption Programs at the Institute: Our Intensive Practitioner Courses Continue

Anti-Corruption Programs at the Institute: Our Intensive Practitioner Courses Continue

By Lauriane Labourel / June 13, 2016
In late April, we again conducted our popular program on “Investigating and Prosecuting Official Corruption” for a fully enrolled session. Participants at this most recent session included prosecutors, investigators, and NGO representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kenya, Serbia, and Tunisia as well as a number of observers, including representatives from the OSCE and from US embassies across the Balkan region. The five-day interactive program also brought together an extraordinary faculty line-up of some of the world’s foremost anti-corruption prosecutors and forensic accountants, who guided the participants through a case-based, interactive curricula using realistic case scenarios as learning tools. As part of the program, participants work india font v1 activation key free download throughout the week in small groups to...
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Spring Anti-Corruption Training at the CEELI Institute

Spring Anti-Corruption Training at the CEELI Institute

By Lauriane Labourel / May 4, 2016
In late April, the CEELI Institute again conducted its program on “Investigating and Prosecuting Official Corruption.” As with the previous sessions, the five-day interactive program brought together an extraordinary faculty line-up consisting of some of the world’s foremost anti-corruption prosecutors, forensic accountants, and practitioners including Jean-Michel Ferat, a US forensic accountant and Managing Director of Claro Group, David Hawkes, a German senior prosecutor and head of the Special Litigation Unit in the World Bank Group’s Integrity Vice Presidency (IVP), Pamela Parizek, Partner at KPMG in Washington D.C., Bruno Cova, Chair of the Milan Office of the law firm of Paul Hastings, and Susan Ringler, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer for a Fortune 100 company. Together, this esteemed faculty provided participants...
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The CEELI Institute 2015 Annual Report Now Available!

The CEELI Institute 2015 Annual Report Now Available!

By Lauriane Labourel / March 23, 2016
The CEELI Institute is excited to announce that our 2015 annual report is now available! The report follows the progress of our ongoing projects, including regional work in Tunisia and Burma, as well as our efforts here at the Villa Grébovka in Prague, including our highly acclaimed anti-corruption course, our CEE Judicial Network, and many more! Downloadable versions of all our annual reports can be found here. [gview file="https://ceeliinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/CEELI-Institute-2015-Annual-Report.pdf"]
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Ukraine: Defending Media Freedom

Ukraine: Defending Media Freedom

By Lauriane Labourel / March 19, 2016
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Addressing Corruption in Ukraine

Addressing Corruption in Ukraine

By Lauriane Labourel / February 23, 2016
The CEELI Institute is currently conducting training for volunteers from the Ukrainian public monitoring group, OZON. OZON’s goal is to foster more open, accountable and transparent government.  As part of their program at CEELI, OZON monitors are discussing differences between Russian and Ukrainian standards of access to government information, the role of public leawo prof media crack monitoring with respect to access to information and the legal process of requesting indiafont v2 crack serial key information and court processes for defending rights to information. Among other activities, OZON plans to underake monitoring of court proceedings; securing open access to information on court proceedings in Ukraine and monitoring court information is a critically important part of overall efforts underway to address...
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CEELI Institute works with Balkan Judges Handling Terrorism Cases

CEELI Institute works with Balkan Judges Handling Terrorism Cases

By Lauriane Labourel / February 23, 2016
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Negotiation Strategies in an International Context Addressed at the CEELI Institute

Negotiation Strategies in an International Context Addressed at the CEELI Institute

By Lauriane Labourel / February 9, 2016
The CEELI Institute was delighted to welcome former Jordanian Prime Minister, Dr. Abdelsalam al-Majali, who spoke at length on his long experiences in the Arab-Israeli peace processes. Dr. al-Majali offered valuable insights into the process of negotiation, the barriers negotiators face, how compromises can be reached, and how negotiators can successfully avoid impasse and stalemates. He offered important insights into how negotiations can successfully be used to resolve pressing political issues of our day. Dr. al-Majali was joined at the Institute by David Rivkin, the President of the International Bar Association, who led a discussion on the successful Israeli-Egyptian Taba border arbitrations. Mr. Rivkin is a partner at the New York law firm of Debevoise & Plimption, and a world-renowned...
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Prosecuting Banks for Participating in Corruption: Seminar in Tunisia

Prosecuting Banks for Participating in Corruption: Seminar in Tunisia

By Lauriane Labourel / February 4, 2016
On February 3-4, 2016, the CEELI Institute organized the latest of a series of trainings for the Tunisian National Anti-Corruption Agency (INLUCC), this time focusing on strategies and policies for effective detection, investigation, and prosecution of corruption and money laundering in the financial sector. Over 40 professionals gathered for the training in Tunis, including representatives from both national and private banks, judges, lawyers, and journalists. Combining their various backgrounds, the participants brainstormed effective ways of how to detect and tackle the entrenched corruption that continues to be a problem in Tunisia. Mr. Chawki Tabib, President of the INLUCC, delivered the opening remarks and the media, including Tunisian TV, were present covering the event. The CEELI Institute program was led by...
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Evaluation of Judges: An Interactive Webinar Held on December 18, 2015

Evaluation of Judges: An Interactive Webinar Held on December 18, 2015

By Lauriane Labourel / February 1, 2016
On December 18, 2015, the CEELI Institute, as part of its Central and Eastern European Judicial Network program, organized an online workshop on the “Evaluation of Judges.” The webinar was led by Mr. Pim Albers, an independent Dutch expert with global expertise in issues related to the judiciary and court administration. Mr. Albers gave an in-depth overview of international standards related to the evaluation of judges, how to develop and use clear performance standards and neutral performance indicators, and shared his experiences from recent initiatives on the evaluation of judges in Ukraine and Moldova. All ten judges from across the CEE region who participated in the event appreciated the presentation and supplemental discussion, as methods used for evaluating judges remains...
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CEELI Institute Anti-Corruption Training – Spring Course 2016

CEELI Institute Anti-Corruption Training – Spring Course 2016

By Lauriane Labourel / January 5, 2016
The CEELI Institute will again offer our signature anti-corruption course in April. This five day highly interactive training provides participants with a comprehensive framework for investigating and prosecuting official corruption. The course will take place at the Institute in Prague the week of April 25-30, 2016, and is designed to walk participants through the actual investigation of a case involving official corruption. As in the past, the course filled up quickly and we now have a waiting list for the April session, as well as plans under way to run the course again in early Fall. During the course, participants will work on a hypothetical case in small groups to develop their own investigation strategy, learning to use time tested...
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A Landmark Statement of Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary: Completed with CEELI Institute Assistance

A Landmark Statement of Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary: Completed with CEELI Institute Assistance

By Lauriane Labourel / November 30, 2015
With CEELI Insitute support and encouragement, the Supreme Courts of Central and Eastern Europe have joined together to sign a landmark Statement of Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary. The Principles were approved at the Annual Conference of the Chief Justices, hosted by the Supreme Court of Croatia, in Brijuni, Croatia, in October 2015. Justices from the Supreme Courts of 16 participating countries from the region signed the Statement. It represents the culmination of three years of work by the Justices. The Statement is to some extent modeled on the 1997 Beijing Statement of Principles of the Independence of the Judiciary, drafted and signed by the Conference of Chief Justices of the Asia Pacific Region. The “Brijuni Statement of...
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November sees Multiple Intensive Anti-Corruption Training Programs at the Institute

November sees Multiple Intensive Anti-Corruption Training Programs at the Institute

By Lauriane Labourel / November 30, 2015
Due to high demand, the CEELI Institute conducted a second session of our highly acclaimed training program on “Investigating and Prosecuting Official Corruption” at the Villa Grebovka, in early November. This session again brought together a highly experienced faculty line-up consisting of some of the world’s most experienced anti-corruption prosecutors, forensic accountants, and practitioners. The Institute also conducted a second, similar program later in November, at the special request of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Institute’s Anti-Corruption curriculum has had outstanding student feedback, and is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive framework for investigating and prosecuting official corruption. The Institute’s efforts to provide high quality anti-corruption training continue to draw demand, especially as official...
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Strengthening Government Accountability in Ukraine

Strengthening Government Accountability in Ukraine

By Lauriane Labourel / November 30, 2015
In September, the CEELI Institute worked together with a Ukrainian civil society organization (The Kyiv based Center for Civil Liberties) to train a network of Ukrainian citizens engaged in monitoring the conduct of law enforcement agencies, courts, and local government throughout the country. The project, named “OZONE” to signify its aim of promoting transparency, brought together regional leaders from across Ukraine to study best practices for projects promoting government accountability. The program focused particularly on communication strategies, including the development of useful and tangible reports as part of an accountability campaign, and effective communication of their efforts with the public and media. Participants examined other successful public monitoring campaigns, including a similar high profile court monitoring project in Georgia that...
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Human Rights Lawyers’ Sabbatical Program

Human Rights Lawyers’ Sabbatical Program

By Lauriane Labourel / November 30, 2015
With a generous donation from the director of the Oak Foundation’s international human rights program, the CEELI Institute has completed the renovation and furnishing of a one-bedroom flat at the Institute, which is dedicated for use by participants of a new respite and sabbatical program for human rights lawyers working under stressful and challenging conditions. Our program is designed to help mitigate the damaging effect of the severe stress and untenable workloads carried by many among the community of human rights lawyers. Often working in hostile and authoritarian environments, these lawyers work tirelessly to defend their clients – often at great personal risk and risk to their families. Depending on the length of their stay, participants are encouraged to write...
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Promoting Legal Skills Training for Independent Burmese Lawyers

Promoting Legal Skills Training for Independent Burmese Lawyers

By Lauriane Labourel / November 30, 2015
The CEELI Institute, in partnership with Czech NGO Burma Center Prague, is again preparing to deliver another series of legal skills training sessions for independent Burmese lawyers, to be held this month in two regional Burmese cities. The trainings are delivered as part of a long-term cooperation agreement with the Myanmar Lawyers Network (MLN), an organization of independent Burmese lawyers active in pro bono defense of politically prosecuted citizens and vulnerable populations. U.S. Judge Christopher Whitten and Polish law professor Marta Skrodzka will lead the training, which is focused on building practical advocacy skills.  The program will also address the role and experience of lawyers in a society transitioning from a totalitarian regime to democracy. The training sessions predominantly target...
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Supporting International Human Rights Standards, Here at Home in Central Europe

Supporting International Human Rights Standards, Here at Home in Central Europe

By Lauriane Labourel / November 30, 2015
The CEELI Institute was delighted to host and cosponsor a conference on International Human Rights Obligations of Post-Communist Countries, in partnership with the Law Faculty of Masaryk University in Brno and the Czech Institute for European and Comparative Law, held at the Institute in October. The conference was attended by almost 100 professional participants from across the Czech Republic, and focused particularly on recent research by Masaryk University scholars on the process of signing and ratification of international human rights conventions by Central and Eastern European countries, including the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Aspects of the Czech transition to democracy have recently been under siege by some sectors of the Czech political spectrum. This conference highlighted the Czech Republic’s role...
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The CEELI Institute Hosts the Second “Investigating and Prosecuting Official Corruption” Training Session of 2015

The CEELI Institute Hosts the Second “Investigating and Prosecuting Official Corruption” Training Session of 2015

By Lauriane Labourel / November 4, 2015
The CEELI Institute is again conducting our highly acclaimed training program on "Investigating and Prosecuting Official Corruption” at the Villa Grebovka, in Prague. Due to high demand for the program, the Institute is running multiple training sessions this year. November's program brings together a highly experienced faculty line-up consisting of some of the world's most experienced anti-corruption prosecutors, forensic accountants, and practitioners. This course, which has had outstanding student feedback, is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive framework for investigating and prosecuting official corruption. It is the Institute's only tuition-based course and one that continues to expand, especially as official corruption has emerged as one of the most prevalent and pernicious threats to the rule of law around the...
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The Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe Undertakes a Landmark Step in Approving The Statement of Principle of the Independence of the Judiciary

The Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe Undertakes a Landmark Step in Approving The Statement of Principle of the Independence of the Judiciary

By Lauriane Labourel / October 22, 2015
The Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe is a self-sustaining organization whose members are the Supreme Court Chief Justices who lead the judiciaries of twenty-three nations from the Baltic Sea to the Caucasus, including the Balkan Peninsula. The Conference meets annually in one of the member countries to address the many common challenges faced by the Chief Justices in improving their countries’ judiciaries, promoting judicial independence, strengthening integrity and accountability, improving court management, fighting corruption, and building public support for the courts. The CEELI Institute has been honored to support the work and mission of the Conference since its inception in 2011. This year’s Conference was hosted by the Supreme Court of Croatia, from 11-14 October at...
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The CEELI Institute hosts Lebanese Judges Engaged in Asset Recovery Efforts

The CEELI Institute hosts Lebanese Judges Engaged in Asset Recovery Efforts

By Lauriane Labourel / October 6, 2015
The CEELI Institute was delighted to host a program on Non-Conviction Based Confiscation and Asset Management, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division (Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section).The program was attended by 20 very senior Lebanese Officials, including representatives of Lebanon’s judiciary and civil society, and by officials from the Lebanese Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Special Investigation Committee.  Speakers included the Vice-Chair of the Egmont Group (the international coordinating body for FIU’s), a member of the Lebanese Parliament, experts from the International Centre for Asset Recovery (at the Basel Institute, Switzerland) and federal prosecutors and investigators from the US Departments of Justice and Homeland Security.
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Using Legal Mechanisms to Address Regional Conflicts

Using Legal Mechanisms to Address Regional Conflicts

By Lauriane Labourel / September 4, 2015
The CEELI Institute joined with the International Bar Association (IBA) on September 1-3, 2015, to sponsor an innovative program promoting dialogue on the international legal mechanisms relevant to the resolution of ongoing regional conflicts. The program brought together IBA leadership, international experts and young lawyers in order to explore a variety of issues relevant to conflict resolution. The program included discussion groups, expert presentations, and a variety of practical exercises. This was the first in a series of such events sponsored by the IBA, in partnership with the Institute. Among those participating in the training were IBA Chair David Rivkin, IBA Executive Director Mark Ellis, and CEELI Institute Chair Homer E. Moyer, Jr. The program kicks off a busy fall...
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ABA/CEELI: The 25th Anniversary Reunion!

ABA/CEELI: The 25th Anniversary Reunion!

By Lauriane Labourel / July 22, 2015
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A Special Message for CEELI’s 25th Anniversary

A Special Message for CEELI’s 25th Anniversary

By Lauriane Labourel / June 29, 2015
From the Chambers of the Hon. Sandra Day O'Connor, retired justice, United States Supreme Court:
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Strengthening Judicial Independence & Accountability: Roundtable of the Central & Eastern European Judicial Exchange Network

Strengthening Judicial Independence & Accountability: Roundtable of the Central & Eastern European Judicial Exchange Network

By Lauriane Labourel / June 19, 2015
The Roundtable on “Balancing Judicial Independence and Accountability,” took place on June 6-7, 2015 in Prague, Czech Republic. More than 30 non-high court judges and court administrators from 18 countries of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as 3 judges from the Netherlands and the United States, participated in the Roundtable. The Roundtable looked at current challenges faced by the judiciary in Network member states and considered appropriate efforts to promote and strengthen judicial independence and accountability. Particular attention was given to the issues of independence and separation of powers, protection for judges from removal without cause, and public pressures on judges. This event was an extraordinary opportunity to exchange experiences and best practices between participants of Network member states....
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Fighting Against Corruption in Tunis: Training on Foreign Accounting

Fighting Against Corruption in Tunis: Training on Foreign Accounting

By Lauriane Labourel / June 17, 2015
On June 10-12, 2015, twenty-six representatives from a wide range of Tunisian stakeholder agencies with anti-corruption responsibilities, including the Tunisian Anti-Corruption Agency, Instance Vérité & Dignité, the Finance Ministry, and the High Commission for Administrative and Financial Control, participated in CEELI’s training on forensic accounting and new tools to fight against corruption which took place at the Hotel Ramada in Tunis, Tunisia. The training was led by two international experts, Jean-Michel Ferat and Jean-Louis Herail, who both have vast knowledge and extensive professional backgrounds dealing with fraud detection, money laundering, high-level corruption, and other forms of fraud. During the three-day training the participants got familiar with current approaches and strategies employed for the investigation and prosecution of international anti-corruption efforts....
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Training for Pro-Bono Lawyers in Burmese Regions

Training for Pro-Bono Lawyers in Burmese Regions

By Lauriane Labourel / June 5, 2015
In May 2015, the CEELI Institute, in partnership with Burma Center Prague, concluded another round of training for the Myanmar Lawyers Network (MLN), a group of Burmese lawyers focusing on pro-bono work. We took another step toward providing more direct support to grassroots lawyers in the region, organizing training in the cities of Pathein and Taunggyi for the first time. The training, led by veteran lawyers and professors Tomáš Vachuda (Anglo-American University in Prague) and Allen Snyder (University of San Diego), focused on practical trial skills, as well as on the changing political and legislative environment in Burma, parallels with similar experience in Central and Eastern Europe, and the what these changes mean for the legal profession.
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NGOs and the Judiciary – Watchdog Activities, Interactions, Collaboration, Communication

NGOs and the Judiciary – Watchdog Activities, Interactions, Collaboration, Communication

By Lauriane Labourel / June 5, 2015
          Under the leadership of the Polish Institute for Law and Society (INPRIS) and with financial support from the Visegrad Fund and the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The CEELI Institute is supporting the project “NGOs and the Judiciary – Watchdog Activities, Interactions, Collaboration, Communication.” The overall goal of the project is to exchange best practices from V4 countries and Western Balkans and to increase the “watchdog”capacities of civil society in the Western Balkans. The aim of the project is to gather and share good practices in area of cooperation between NGOs and judiciary, especially civic monitoring of the judiciary, with a focus on Western Balkan states. As NGOs are becoming more and more involved in...
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Expert on the Czech Judicial System and Relations Between NGOs and the Judiciary

Expert on the Czech Judicial System and Relations Between NGOs and the Judiciary

By Lauriane Labourel / June 1, 2015
Expert on the Czech Judicial System and Relations Between NGOs and the Judiciary Application Deadline : 21-Jun-2015 Type of Contract : Individual Contract Languages Required : English, Czech Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start) ASAP Expected Duration of Assignment : 4 Weeks In collaboration with Polish Institute for Law and Society (INPRIS) and with financial support from the Visegrad Fund and the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The CEELI Institute is supporting the project “NGOs and the Judiciary – Watchdog Activities, Interactions, Collaboration, Communication,” and is seeking an expert on the role of the judiciary in democratic transformation and on how the judiciary can successfully partner with civil society in the Czech Republic. The...
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Evening commemorating the Soviet mass deportations from the Baltic states

Evening commemorating the Soviet mass deportations from the Baltic states

By Lauriane Labourel / May 31, 2015
Večer u příležitosti 74. výročí sovětských masových deportací obyvatel Baltských zemí ze 14. června 1941, který ve spolupráci s CEELI institutem pořádají velvyslanectví Estonské, Litevské a Lotyšské republiky. Od 18.00 bude otevřena výstava „Dopisy ze Sibiře napsané na březové kůře“. Dopisy na březové kůře byly v roce 2009 zařazeny do lotyšského národního registru v rámci programu UNESCO „Paměť světa“. Od 19.00 bude promítán dokumentární film Děti ledu (rež. Justinas Lingys, Litva, 2011, 28 min´). Dokument připomene životy a osudy dětí z Baltských zemí, které byly deportovány nebo se v důsledku sovětských represí v deportaci narodily. Jedná se o mezinárodní projekt, který realizoval litevsko-švédsko-lotyšský tým. plotagraph pro full Největší důraz tvůrci filmu kladli na problematiku vlivu deportací na pohled na svět,...
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Workshop on judicial standards compilation

Workshop on judicial standards compilation

By Lauriane Labourel / March 10, 2015
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Welcoming the 5 AM coalition from Ukraine

Welcoming the 5 AM coalition from Ukraine

By Lauriane Labourel / April 21, 2023
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Meeting with the African Judicial Network in South Africa

Meeting with the African Judicial Network in South Africa

By Lauriane Labourel / April 21, 2023
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Protecting Whistleblowers in Central and Eastern Europe

Protecting Whistleblowers in Central and Eastern Europe

By Lauriane Labourel / April 21, 2023
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Strengthening Ukraine’s Sanctions Regime

Strengthening Ukraine’s Sanctions Regime

By Lauriane Labourel / February 17, 2023
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The CEELI Institute Returns to In-Person Trainings with Indian Judges

The CEELI Institute Returns to In-Person Trainings with Indian Judges

By Lauriane Labourel / December 15, 2022
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Empowering the Judicial Exchange Network – Measuring 10 Years of Impact and Effectiveness

Empowering the Judicial Exchange Network – Measuring 10 Years of Impact and Effectiveness

By Lauriane Labourel / December 15, 2022
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Highlights from our First Cybercrime Training

Highlights from our First Cybercrime Training

By Lauriane Labourel / December 15, 2022
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Faces of the African Judicial Network

Faces of the African Judicial Network

By Lauriane Labourel / December 15, 2022
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The CEELI Institute Partners with the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The CEELI Institute Partners with the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs

By Lauriane Labourel / December 15, 2022
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Preparing Young Ukrainian Lawyers to Deliver Justice

Preparing Young Ukrainian Lawyers to Deliver Justice

By Lauriane Labourel / November 21, 2022
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