Strengthening cooperation among judicial training institutions lies at the heart of EJTN’s mission.
On 1-2 October, representatives of 27 EJTN Members, Associate Members, and Observers from 21 countries gathered in Portugal for the first-ever EJTN Trainer Lab, organised by the EJTN Working Group on Judicial Training Methods and hosted by its Convener, the Centre for Judicial Studies of Portugal. The event provided a unique peer-learning experience where each institution presented an innovative practice or successful initiative from its national training system.
A forum for exchange among judicial training institutions
Innovation, the digitalisation of training, and the continuous evolution of methodologies for both initial and continuous training remain central to EJTN’s work. By giving the floor to judicial training institutions across Europe, the event fostered a peer-learning environment where participants exchanged practices and lessons learned, explored solutions shaped by different legal traditions, training cultures, and national contexts, and identified approaches that could inspire future developments in judicial training across Europe.
Discussions focused on five key methodological issues:
- Judgecraft and legal skills
- Innovative methodologies
- Learning from others
- Building the learning environment and faculty
- Digitalisation, AI, and immersive learning
Through panel discussions and interactive exchanges, participants compared experiences, explored the transferability of practices, and reflected on the future of judicial training in Europe.
Learning beyond the event
The EJTN Trainer Lab also created opportunities for new cross-border cooperation and potential joint initiatives between judicial training institutions.
The discussions and presentations during the EJTN Trainer Lab highlighted a wide range of innovative practices and valuable insights from across Europe. Building on this exchange, EJTN will explore how these experiences can be captured and shared more widely, including through the possible development of a resource bringing together key practices and lessons learned to support the continued advancement of judicial training across Europe and beyond.
Our sincere thanks to the Centre for Judicial Studies of Portugal for hosting the event and leading the discussions, and to the Judicial Institute of Scotland, an EJTN Observer, for moderating the discussions.
Explore our training offer on the EJTN Online Training Catalogue.
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