Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms

The EJTN Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms programme brings European judges, prosecutors and court staff together to discuss the most crucial topics on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms at the European and EU level. 

What is it?

Every year, the HFR programme offers a variety of training seminars combining lectures, workshops, case-studies, court hearings and interactive tools.

During the seminars, practitioners update their knowledge on the current human rights and fundamental freedoms legislation and jurisprudence, exchange best-practices, and apply all this knowledge into practical cases with a ‘learning by doing methodology’.

AIM

What’s the objective?

The HFR trainings seek to:

  • Bring together judges, prosecutors, court staff and trainers;
  • Provide participants with an opportunity in unique trainings to exchange experiences and views on their domestic legislation with their counterparts across Europe;
  • Discuss the most recent developments in the field of human and fundamental rights with leading experts and practitioners.

Key Topics

The different seminars encompass the challenges that EU judges and prosecutors face in the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in their respective Member States as well as in applying relevant EU and European legal instruments from the perspective of the judiciary.

Unique seminars are offered in partnership with the:

  • European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).
  • Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology (MPI) increasing awareness of and a sensitivity to cultural diversity and applying this into legal cases.
  • Council of Europe (CoE) and European Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) attending a Grand Chamber hearing and discussing the most pressing issues in the field of EU Human Rights with current and former European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) officials.

  • Rule of Law

  • Cultural Diversity

  • EU Charter

  • Access to Justice

  • Hate Crimes and Antisemitism

  • AI and Human Rights

  • Freedom of Speech

  • Application of Fundamental Rights and Conflict of Norms

  • Judicial Protection of Health

Activities planned for 2023

Reference Topic Dates Venue
HFR/2023/08 Cultural diversity in the courtroom 16 – 17 October Vienna, Austria
HFR/2023/09 Human and Fundamental Rights in the 21st century: Dialogues between the national and the European courts 24 – 25 October Barcelona, Spain
HFR/2023/10 Judicial Protection of Health as a Fundamental Right 14 – 15 December Lisbon, Portugal
HFR/2023/11 AI and Human Rights webinar 15 – 16 November Online

Activities planned for 2024

Reference Topic Dates Venue
HFR/2024/01 Rule of Law training for judges. Independent judges as a Cornerstone of the Rule of Law 21 – 22 March Valletta, Malta
HFR/2024/02 Conflicts of norms. Multi-level protection in the application of fundamental rights 11 – 12 April Barcelona, Spain
HFR/2024/03 Applicability and effect of the EU Charter on fundamental rights in national proceedings 18 – 19 April FRA, Vienna, Austria
HFR/2024/04 Antisemitism and hate crimes 16 – 17 May Krakow, Poland
HFR/2024/05 Human rights and access to justice 27 – 29 May Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France
HFR/2024/06 Fundamental rights and courts dialogue in the 21st century: facing the law of the future 6 – 7 June Barcelona, Spain
HFR/2024/13 Whistleblowers 20 – 21 June Bonn, Germany
HFR/2024/07 Cultural diversity in the courtroom (introductory) 19 – 20 September Thessaloniki, Greece
HFR/2024/08 Freedom of speech in the digital era 3 – 4 October Riga, Latvia
HFR/2024/09 Fundamental rights of minors in the criminal justice system 21 – 22 October Sofia, Bulgaria
HFR/2024/10 Vulnerable and disabled people 21 – 22 November Riga, Latvia
HFR/2024/11 Artificial intelligence and data protection 14 – 15 November Thessaloniki, Greece
HFR/2024/12 Webinar: cultural diversity in the courtroom (advanced) TBC Online

EJTN Rule of Law Publications

Any questions?

For any queries regarding the Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms programme, please contact Borja Sáez Martínez at the EJTN Secretariat: borja.saez-martinez@ejtn.eu