Are National Higher Courts Securing Fundamental Rights?

Overview

In recent years, the jurisprudence of the European courts concerning judges and the systemic guarantees of judicial independence has increased.

This workshop aims at discussing the role of national apex courts in ensuring the fundamental rights protection standards required by the EU acquis as an essential element of the Rule of Law. Different litigation and judicial interaction techniques will be explored on the implementation of fundamental rights enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the European Convention of Human Rights alongside national constitutional rights, as applied by various Constitutional Courts and Supreme Civil and Administrative Courts throughout the Union. Our objective is not only to analyze current practices but also to chart a course towards enhanced judicial protection, realization, and enforcement of fundamental rights across the European Union.

Framework

Este workshop é oferecido no âmbito do projeto financiado pela Comissão Europeia TRIIAL 2 – Confiança, Independência, Imparcialidade e Responsabilidade dos Profissionais Jurídicos ao abrigo da Carta da UE (projeto n.º 101089737, JUST-JTRA-EJTR-AG-2020). O projeto TRIIAL 2 oferece actividades e ferramentas de formação para juízes, advogados e procuradores sobre o Estado de direito europeu, a confiança mútua, a independência judicial, a imparcialidade e a responsabilidade (ver o sítio Web específico aqui).

Target group

Judges, public prosecutors and legal practitioners from European Union (EU) countries. The training will be in English and opened to those with both basic and experienced knowledge of EU law and ECtHR jurisprudence.

O seminário acolherá 40 participantes, dos quais 15 presencialmente e 25 em online. A participação é gratuita.
Para os 15 participantes presenciais, a deslocação, o alojamento e as refeições no local do evento são suportados pelo organizador.

Participants will be provided with certificates of participation.

Application

The deadline for the submission of applications is 28th of April 2024.

Envie a sua candidatura, incluindo os documentos abaixo mencionados, para researchoffice@lisbonpubliclaw.pt. 

You should mention in the title of your email whether you want to participate in-person or online. online.

The following documents shall be attached to the application:

• CV in English (including a section on proof of knowledge of English)
• A short motivation letter (max 2 pages) outlining the candidate’s specific reasons for applying to a workshop (please describe how your professional activity correlates to the workshop’s field of interest and how you could both benefit from and contribute to the Workshop in this field)

Para questões relacionadas com o seminário e o projeto, contactar: researchoffice@lisbonpubliclaw.pt

IMPORTANT: Registrations made after April 28 do not include travel, accommodation and meals at the venue.

Selection Procedure

The assessment of applications will be based on the following criteria:

• Gender and age balanced;
• Geographically balanced;
• Balance in the judicial hierarchy: both higher and lower instance courts shall be represented among selected participants;
• Trainers will have priority in selection (please refer to relevant training responsibilities in your CV);
  Knowledge of and experience with fundamental rights and rule of law issues;
  Good knowledge of English;
• Single participation within the same Training Project (TRIIAL 2): in principle, no participant can take part in more than one Workshop among those offered within the TRIIAL 2 Project.
• LPL will select 40 legal practitioners. After the exhaustion of the 15 in person places, the remaining ones will be allocated to online participation.

The results of the selection will be communicated by 30th of April 2024.

Outcome of the Workshop

• You will receive a certificate of participation.
• Será capaz de compreender e explicar as principais questões jurídicas relacionadas com o Estado de direito europeu (o “núcleo” da formação).
• You will be able to understand and explain the main legal issues relating to the European rule of law (the training’s “core”).
• to acquire the knowledge and the ability to assess the legal pathways that grant access to national higher courts when invoking fundamental rights and their procedural steps; to establish whether the solution of the pending case requires the involvement of the Court of Justice through the reference for preliminary ruling;
• to identify the role of the ECHR and the case law of the Strasbourg Court in national rulings;
• to determine whether the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU is applicable in a certain case or not;
• to understand how to implement the relevant case law of the Court of Justice in your case;
• to find cases decided by the Court of Justice or national courts which can help you solving the pending case or supporting your legal arguments concerning some of the main fundamental rights, paving the way for a better judicial RoL protection and enforcement of fundamental rights within the European Union.
• to become part of a network of legal practitioners, activists and scholars dealing with similar issues that could provide support for future questions.