Human Rights Lawyers’ Sabbatical Program

Commemorating the 50th ANNIVERSARY of the PRAGUE SPRING

By Lauriane Labourel / December 12, 2018

2018 marks the 50th anniversary of a brief period of liberalism, economic and social reform and democratization of Czechoslovakia, known as the Prague Spring. In January 1968, a moderate, Alexander Dubček replaced his hard-line communist predecessor to become the Secretary of the Community Party in Czechoslovakia. His leadership marked the beginning of a new era in Czechoslovakia, even if for just a short time. In response to economic depression and complaints that the Soviet Union was exploiting its people, Dubček launched an “Action Programme” of liberalizations. This resulted in increased freedom of press, religion, association, and travel, the rehabilitation of victims of political purges during the Joseph Stalin era, a revised constitution to guarantee civil rights and liberties, a switch...

CEELI: Supporting US-India Judicial Engagement

By Lauriane Labourel / October 17, 2018

In September, the CEELI Institute continued its multi-year partnership with the National Judicial Academy of India (NJA) by organizing an international exchange for Indian high court judges tasked with creating a brand new counterterrorism curriculum for use in training Indian judges. This exchange was the second such meeting of Indian and American judges facilitated by the CEELI Institute, the first being held in Bhopal, India, at the home of the NJA, last year. The Institute was also delighted to continue its partnership with the US Federal Judicial Center (FJA), in organizing this program. The U.S. exchange was a two-part engagement for the Indian delegation that incorporated firsthand exposure to the U.S. judiciary at both the state and federal levels, as...

Advocacy Skills Training at CEELI

By Lauriane Labourel / October 11, 2018

In May, the CEELI Institute launched a new advocacy skills training effort for young lawyers from the Eurasia region. The one-week program is designed to build the confidence of young legal professionals in areas that are most relevant to human rights advocacy in a trial setting – i.e. oral presentation and argument, motion practice, and persuasive speaking. Faculty included a roster of highly experienced international trainers. The course is highly interactive and incorporates daily participant exercises, reflecting tried and true interactive components developed for use in clinical legal education programs, including the international programs run by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA). Participants were very enthusiastic, noting that the practical aspects of the workshop were something they had never...

The 2018 Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe

By Lauriane Labourel / October 11, 2018

The CEELI Institute was honored to again support the Annual Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe, hosted in Vilnius by the Supreme Court of Lithuania from May 27-29, 2018. The Conference was originally launched in Prague, at the Institute, with support from the U.S. Department of State, and with the personal commitment of United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The Conference is now a self-sustaining body that meets annually, and provides the opportunity for the Chief Justices to discuss common challenges, share ideas, and work towards solutions. Front and center among this year’s discussions were the ongoing challenges to judicial independence that continue to be seen and felt across the...

New Partnership with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

By Lauriane Labourel / October 11, 2018

The CEELI Institute is delighted to join in a partnership with the International Foundation Electoral Systems (IFES) on a new project to strengthen the implementation of anti-corruption standards in Europe, with particular focus on Bulgaria, Romania, and Montenegro. The project will focus first on the identification of priority substantive anti-corruption reforms, and then on steps to assist local stakeholders in implementation of those reforms; for example, the project will assist in addressing as of yet unmet recommendations arising out of the evaluation processes undertaken by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). This project is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International, Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). This latest project continues long-standing collaborative...

CEELI Launches Three Part Training Series on Preparation of Cases for Appeal Before the European Court of Human Rights

By Lauriane Labourel / October 11, 2018

In October, the CEELI Institute, working in cooperation with the Centre de la Protection Internationale (Strasbourg), launched the first session of what will ultimately be a three part course for young lawyers seeking to deepen their competency to work on cases involving violations of the rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights, and seeking to perfect appeals of those violations to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), in Strasbourg. The ECtHR is currently among the most important avenues of international appeal and review open to citizens seeking redress from final judgments in the 47 member states of the Council of Europe. Such redress is particularly important for citizens of European countries which are not members of the...

CEELI Welcomes the Hon. Beverley McLachlin, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada

By Lauriane Labourel / October 11, 2018

The CEELI Institute was delighted to welcome the Hon. Beverley McLachlin to Prague, as the keynote speaker for our Annual Meeting in late June. Justice McLachlin recently completed her 17 year term as Chief Justice; she was the first woman to hold that position, and was also the longest serving Chief Justice of Canada. Justice McLachlin spoke eloquently about the current challenges to establishment of the Rule of Law, the trends towards its “unraveling” in certain regions, and the need for effective responses to that trend. She promoted the notion of a shared international value and understanding of the Rule of Law, as something that transcends even national values. Justice McLachlin concluded by noting the work of the Institute in...

CEELI at the UN

By Lauriane Labourel / May 16, 2018

The CEELI Institute was honored to be invited to participate in the United Nation’s Launch of its Global Judicial Integrity Network. The Launch, held in Vienna, on April 9-10, 2018, was a groundbreaking event attended by leaders of the world’s judiciaries and a select number of international judicial associations. The CEELI Institute was one of a handful of non-governmental organizations selected to join judges from around the globe at the event. CEELI’s contributions to the Launch event included organizing and moderating a panel on the new professional and ethical challenges for judges raised as a result of the increasing use of social media by members of the profession. This is a topic that CEELI has explored in depth within the context of its ongoing Central and East European Judicial Network. For this panel, CEELI drew on the forward-leading experiences with social media by judges in...

Supporting Exiled Syrian Judges

By Lauriane Labourel / May 16, 2018

In April, CEELI returned to Gaziantep, Turkey for further engagement with exiled Syrian judges. This is part of an ongoing partnership that CEELI has undertaken with the Swedish based International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC) to provide a lifeline to Syrian judges who have fled the conflict and are now refugees in Turkey. The hope is that this group will someday be able to return to Syria, and help to rebuild legal and judicial institutions there which have been decimated by years of conflict. In the meantime, these judges are in need of ongoing support and mentoring. The April program furthered our aim of working with the judges to develop their expertise in thematic areas relevant to post conflict settings. This most recent workshop focused on constitutional issues...

CEELI Launches New Anti-Corruption Compliance Training

By Lauriane Labourel / May 16, 2018

This year, the CEELI Institute launched a new curriculum designed to train practitioners on effective corporate compliance with international anti-corruption standards, including the operation of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the UK Anti-Bribery Law and the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). The program is targeted at individuals who have responsibilities for advising their clients or employers on internal corporate compliance. CEELI recognized a growing demand for such training, particularly for practitioners in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia. In house advisors are increasingly required to have detailed knowledge of relevant anticorruption statutes, as well as the broader international context in which multi-national corporations must now function. Avoiding corporate liability for corrupt practices is now critical to business operation, yet many lawyers in the region have had limited experience with international anti-corruption laws and with corporate compliance mechanisms. Our initial roll out of...

EU Criminal Law: Training for EU judges at CEELI

By Lauriane Labourel / May 16, 2018

Watch Now: Preserving a Free Society: Governmental Power and the Rule of Law

By Lauriane Labourel / April 25, 2018

The CEELI Institute’s 2017 Annual Report is now available!

By Lauriane Labourel / February 7, 2018

The CEELI Institute's 2017 Annual Report is now available! Take a peek and see what we've been up to in a busy 2017... [gview file="https://ceeliinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/compressed1CEELI_Annual_2017_Final-ilovepdf-compressed.pdf"]

FULLY BOOKED! Spring session of CEELI’s Anti-Corruption Course on the Investigation and Prosecution of Public Corruption Cases

By Lauriane Labourel / December 15, 2017

The CEELI Institute is delighted to announce a spring session of our signature anti-corruption course on the investigation and prosecution of public corruption cases. This five-day, highly interactive training provides participants with a comprehensive framework for initiating and pursuing official corruption cases. The course will take place at the Villa Grebovka in Prague the week of April 23-27, 2018, and is designed to walk participants through the investigation of a case involving official corruption. Participants will work in small groups with a hypothetical case to develop their own investigation strategy, learning to use time-tested investigative tools and develop practical skills along the way. Participant efforts are augmented by expert guidance and instruction. Over the course of five days, students will: •...

Celebrating Five Years of Innovative Anti-Corruption Training at CEELI

By Lauriane Labourel / December 11, 2017

The November 2017 session of the CEELI Institute’s popular program on “Investigating and Prosecuting Official Corruption” was also a milestone, marking five years that the Institute has been offering this innovative training program. As one UN official recently noted, the course is now considered “the best in Europe.” Since 2013, more than 300 participants from 16 different countries, ranging from Serbia to Singapore, have completed this program. Feedback from our participants has remained consistently enthusiastic, and our participants routinely report that their time in Prague is well spent and is beneficial in their professional work. Participants at this most recent session included prosecutors, investigators, and NGO representatives from Armenia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine. As always, the five-day interactive...

Strengthening Judicial Capacity to Combat Terrorism in the Middle East and North Africa

By Lauriane Labourel / December 11, 2017

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. The most recent program was designed to support judges from the Middle East and North Africa, and brought together judges and prosecutors from Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia. The intensive three-day exchange focused on best practices for judges adjudicating cases involving terrorism and other national security issues, with special reference to The Hague Memorandum on Good Practices for the Judiciary in Adjudicating Terrorism Offenses, a Good Practice document based on relevant international guidance and developed under the auspices of the 30-nation Global Counter Terrorism Forum (www.thegctf.org)....

CEELI Launches New Initiative to Support Anti-Corruption Activists

By Lauriane Labourel / December 11, 2017

The CEELI Institute is delighted to be able to announce the launch of a new initiative to support civil society organizations, journalists and lawyers striving for greater public accountability and transparency in Central and Eastern Europe. The project is supported by a grant from the US Department of State. It will allow us to provide training, assistance and guidance to anti-corruption civic activists from across the region as they work to access publicly available government information, thereby highlighting and exposing official corruption. The project will include civil society participants from the Visegrad, Baltic and Balkan regions, as well as the Eastern Partnership countries. Official corruption is often perceived as a major factor in undermining public trust in democracy and the rule...

CEELI Launches New Judicial Tool

By Lauriane Labourel / December 11, 2017

The CEELI Institute is delighted to announce its newest judicial reference tool, The Addendum to the Manual on Independence, Impartiality and Integrity of the Judiciary: A Thematic Compilation of International and National Jurisprudence. This document will now join the original Manual on Independence, Impartiality and Integrity of the Judiciary: The Thematic Compilation of International Standards, Policies and Best Practices as an important reference tool for judges, legislators, government officials and legal scholars. Both documents are hosted on the CEELI Institute web site, where they are available for download. The Addendum follows the same approach as the original Manual. Whereas the original Manual focused on international instruments relevant to issues of judicial independence, integrity, accountability and function, the Addendum references similarly...

Advising Burmese MPs on legislative reform

By Lauriane Labourel / December 11, 2017

Building on our four-year track record of working with human rights lawyers in Burma, the CEELI Institute has now expanded our efforts in Burma to include support for members of the Burmese Parliament who codigo de ativação avast premier 2019 are working to reform a range of outdated or repressive legislation. serial avast 2019 Many of these MPs are former dissidents and political prisoners who are now adjusting to new roles as legislators avast crackeado 2019 and drafters. Progress in changing these laws and paving the way for a genuine democracy is critical to securing democratic changes in Burma. The MPs are also increasingly aware that the results of the next general election in 2020 will be partly dependent on...

CEELI at Forum 2000

By Lauriane Labourel / November 18, 2017

Forum 2000 (www.forum2000.cz) is an annual convocation in Prague, originally founded by Václav Havel, dedicated to supporting the values of democracy and respect for human rights. The Forum provides a platform for global leaders to openly debate and share thoughts on this critical issue. This year, CEELI again joined in Forum 2000’s Festival of Democracy, hosting a panel entitled “Unwinding: Rule of Law Reform in Europe Under Pressure.” The CEELI Institute panel addressed the uneven road in transformation of post-communist countries into fully functioning and healthy democracies. With the re-emergence of political nationalism and authoritarian instincts, pro-democratic cooperation across borders is of utmost importance. This session looked at current developments as well as possible strategies of international efforts aimed at advancing the rule of law...

The CEELI Judicial Exchange touches base in India

By Lauriane Labourel / October 18, 2017

The CEELI Institute is pleased to initiate a multi-year partnership with the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal, India, and the U.S. Federal Judicial Center, which will promote a series of exchanges between U.S. and Indian judges. This effort, generously supported by the US Department of State’s Counterterrorism Bureau, will focus particularly on judges who are responsible for adjudicating complex cases involving terrorism and national security crimes. As is on our past work on this subject matter with judges from a variety of backgrounds, including the Balkans, Middle East and North Africa, the Institute will again make particular use of relevant good practice documents generated by the 30-member Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF), a body which includes both India and the United States (www.thegctf.org). Of particular relevance for framing the discussions in this effort is the Hague Memorandum on Good...

Providing Lifelines for Syrian Judges in Exile

By Lauriane Labourel / October 11, 2017

In April 2018, the CEELI Institute resumed a program in partnership with the Swedish-based International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC), focused on offering a professional lifeline to Syrian judges who are now in exile in Turkey but who hold on to the hope of one day returning to their country to rebuild the justice system. Many of the exiled judges remain actively involved with international organizations that are working with refugees in Turkey, for example, by assisting with efforts to maintain basic public records of births, death, and marriages, in the absence of any formal mechanism for recording such crucial life events. All of these Syrian judges are looking ahead to possible scenarios that might occur in Syria after the conflict ends.  In April 2018, the Institute convened a program in Gaziantep,...

The 2017 Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe

By Lauriane Labourel / October 11, 2017

The CEELI Institute was honored to support the Seventh Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe, hosted in Budapest by the Supreme Court of Hungary from June 4-7, 2017.  The Conference was originally launched in Prague, at the Institute, with support from the U.S. Department of State, and with the personal commitment of United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The Conference is now a self-sustaining body that meets annually, and provides the opportunity for the Chief Justices to discuss common challenges, share ideas, and work towards solutions. Front and center among this year’s discussions were the ongoing challenges to judicial independence that continue to be seen and felt across the...

Confronting External Pressures on the Judiciary in Central and Eastern Europe

By Lauriane Labourel / October 11, 2017

The CEELI Institute continues to be deeply engaged with judiciaries of Central and Eastern Europe, primarily through our ongoing Network of rising young judges, now entering its sixth year of programmatic activities and efforts. The young judges are increasingly concerned about coping with the external pressures—political, social, media—that work to undermine judicial independence in the region. Recent legislative interference with the judiciary in Poland has been well reported, but disturbing trends are reported across the region. With knives out for judges across the region, they are also keen to pay greater attention to ethical issues, and to avoid conflicts and ethical pitfalls that have caught up with some of their peers. In September the CEELI Institute organized several events to address...

Partnering with the Association of Croatian Judges

By Lauriane Labourel / October 11, 2017

The CEELI Institute is delighted to announce its new joint partnership with the Association of Croatian Judges in delivering continuing legal education programs for judges from the Czech Republic, Croatia and other EU member states. The project, funded by the European Commission’s Justice Directorate, is designed to strengthen judicial respect and protections for the legal rights of defendants in criminal proceedings. The project will promote greater understanding among EU judges charged with applying the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights in the field of criminal justice, and will specifically address the right to information in criminal proceedings (Directive 2012/13/EU), and the right of access to a lawyer in criminal proceedings (Directive 2013/48/EU). This effort is particularly significant because it is designed...

2017 Conference of Chief Justices of Central & Eastern Europe –Budapest, Hungary, June 4-7, 2017

By Lauriane Labourel / June 12, 2017

The CEELI Institute was delighted to again join in supporting the Seventh Conference of Chief Justices of Central and Eastern Europe, hosted in Budapest by the Supreme Court of Hungary from June 4-7, 2017. The Conference itself was launched in Prague, at the Institute, with support from the U.S. Department of State, and with the commitment of United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The Conference is now a self-sustaining body that meets annually in one of the countries represented, and provides the opportunity for the Chief Justices to discuss common challenges, share ideas, and work towards solutions. Front and center among this year’s discussions were the ongoing challenges to judicial independence that...

Strength in Diversity: CEELI Expands Its Institutional Partnerships Across Europe

By Lauriane Labourel / March 29, 2017

In February, the CEELI Institute staff was delighted to welcome the leadership of the highly respected Italian organization, the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights, for in-depth meetings on future program collaboration and engagement. The CEELI Institute greatly values our increasing roster of programmatic partnerships with institutions across Europe. These collaborations are important in helping us to expand both the quality and scope of our programs. Institutional partnerships allow the participating organizations to tap into a deeper pool of experts, a greater diversity of participants and an increased level of substantive expertise. The staff collaboration and interactions that accompany partnerships encourage consideration of different perspectives and facilitate creative thinking about program design and delivery. Other recent joint...

CEE Judges Take on Corruption

By Lauriane Labourel / March 29, 2017

In January, the CEELI Institute hosted the latest meeting of our Central and East European Judicial Exchange Network, comprised of some of the best and brightest young judges from eighteen countries in the region who have come together to share their best practices on issues of judicial independence, integrity, and accountability. This project is funded through a generous ongoing grant from the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (NL). The program focused on supporting judicial efforts to combat corruption both within and without the profession. In addition to examining issues of transparency in the conduct of the judicial profession, participating judges also examined issues related to the adjudication of corruption cases, including the unique evidentiary...

CEELI Judicial Manual Put to Work in Drafting the Georgian Judicial Strategy

By Lauriane Labourel / March 29, 2017

The CEELI Institute is pleased to report that it’s Manual on Independence, Impartiality and Integrity of Justice continues to be put to good use by judicial practitioners across the region. Most recently, our colleagues in the Republic of Georgia report that the Manual was used extensively by the High Council of Justice in the process of drafting Judicial Strategy for Georgia for 2017-2021. They note that the Manual was one of the guiding documents used in determining the main directions of the judicial strategy and the content of the strategy‘s sub-chapters. As one of the judges noted, the drafters and researchers appreciated the flexibility of the manual and the availability of a keyword system that facilitated the research. The CEELI...

Voices of the Next Generation: Bringing Change to the Middle East

By Lauriane Labourel / March 29, 2017

The CEELI Institute is delighted to be able to announce the continuation of its groundbreaking program bringing together young lawyers from the Middle East to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the role that international law can play in its resolution. This program has been generously supported by the International Bar Association for a second year. The program extension will allow us to continue to bring together the diverse group of young lawyers on a quarterly basis at the Institute in Prague, during which participants are able to speak honestly, exchange views, examine applicable principles of international law, and jointly explore difficult, emotional issues affecting Israel and Palestine. This program was highlighted last year at the IBA’s annual Rule of Law...

Supporting Judges Who Deal with Terrorism Cases

By Lauriane Labourel / March 29, 2017

In March, 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. The most recent program was designed to support judges from the Western Balkans and brought together judges and prosecutors from seven Balkan countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. These countries continue to be on the front line of European counterterrorism threats, as they sit directly abreast of the main transit routes for Syrian and other refugees, and see first-hand the phenomenon of returning foreign terrorist fighters. The intensive three-day exchange focused on useful practices for judges adjudicating cases involving terrorism and...

Save the Date! The CEELI Institute Annual Meeting: July 9-10, 2017

By Lauriane Labourel / March 15, 2017

Mark your calendars to join us in Prague, at the Villa Grebovka, on July 9-10, 2017 for the CEELI Institute‘s Annual Meeting. Once again we look forward to bringing together a diverse cross-section of academicians, government officials and experts, as well as our board members, funders, partners, and friends, to discuss some of the most pressing issues we face in our efforts to advance the Rule of Law in ever more challenging environments. The gathering allows us the opportunity to convene prominent thought leaders from the international development community for frank discussions on the critical challenges facing our region as it struggles with war, corruption, and the rise of illiberal regimes which question the value of democratic transitions. The program...

SPRING COURSE IS FULLY BOOKED: The CEELI Institute´s Spring Course on Investigating and Prosecuting Public Corruption – April 24-28, 2017 – Prague

By Lauriane Labourel / February 9, 2017

The CEELI Institute is delighted to announce a spring session of our signature anti-corruption course on the investigation and prosecution of public corruption cases. This five-day, highly interactive training provides participants with a comprehensive framework for initiating and pursuing official corruption cases. The course will take place at the Villa Grebovka in Prague the week of April 24-28, 2017, and is designed to walk participants through the investigation of a case involving official corruption. Participants will work in small groups with a hypothetical case to develop their own investigation strategy, learning to use time-tested investigative tools and develop practical skills along the way. Participant efforts are augmented by expert guidance and instruction. Over the course of five days, students will: •...

The CEELI Institute 2016 Annual Report is now available!

By Lauriane Labourel / February 8, 2017

The mission of the CEELI Institute is to advance the rule of law in the world in order to: protect fundamental rights and individual liberties; promote transparent, incorruptible, accountable governments; lay the foundation for economic opportunity and growth; and encourage peaceful resolution of disputes

Supporting the Work of the CEELI Institute

By Lauriane Labourel / December 12, 2016

Dear Friend of the CEELI Institute, In 2016, the work of the CEELI Institute in advancing the rule of law continued to change individual lives, and through them, the world. Over the past year, for example, CEELI brought young Israeli and Palestinian lawyers together to sit side by side to discuss their challenges and hopes for the future; for most, such an opportunity was unprecedented. As one young Israeli lawyer said at the outset, "before this I had never met a Palestinian." When defense lawyers in Eurasia received death threats for their work, CEELI was there to offer them shelter and respite. A young prosecutor from the Balkans who participated in our intensive anti-corruption training reported that "my skills for investigating frequent acts...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...