Back Support to the Constitutional Court

Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum facilitates discussion on contemporary constitutional justice
Support to the Constitutional Court

The second edition of the “Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum” was hosted by the Constitutional Court of Kosovo*[1], with the support of the related Council of Europe project, which aims to strengthen the institutional framework for the protection of human rights.

The international conference, focused on “The Evolution of Contemporary Constitutional Justice: The Example of the Balkan Region”, brought together more than 100 judges of constitutional and regular courts, legal practitioners and academic experts from Kosovo*, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Türkiye, Austria, and other European countries. It also featured distinguished speakers including Anna Austin, Jurisconsult of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), Martin Kuijer, Vice-President of the Venice Commission, Alexander Arabadjiev, Judge at the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) and President of the First Chamber, as well as Teodora Toma, Executive Director of the World Jurist Association.


 

The opening session was marked by the allocutions of the President of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo*, Gresa Caka-Nimani, the President of Kosovo*, Vjosa Osmani, the President of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts, Holta Zaçaj, and the Head of the Secretariat of the Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum, Pavlina Panova, whereas Professor Rainer Arnold, from the University of Regensburg, and Director of the International Congress on European and Comparative Constitutional Law, delivered an insightful keynote address on “The Role of Constitutional Justice in Contemporary Constitutionalism”.

The conference lent itself to common reflection and sharing of experience around the key themes of constitutionalism, the balance of powers, and the impact of supranational courts’ jurisprudence in shaping local constitutional contexts. The event was also an opportunity for rich bilateral exchanges and professional interaction, as well as a site visit of the Constitutional Court’s premises.

The Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum, which was established in October 2023, aims to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas and good practices in the field of constitutional law.

 

[1] All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions, or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United National Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.

 

Pristina 24 October
  • Diminuer la taille du texte
  • Augmenter la taille du texte
  • Imprimer la page
Fifty practitioners to enhance skills in provision of occupational therapy

Following the adoption of the Guidelines for Occupational Therapy (OT), as well as the Training of Trainers (ToT) on OT that took place in January 2024, three 2-day cascade training sessions were organised in the course of February and March 2024.  Fifty professionals, mainly from the Prison Health Department, along with representatives from the Correctional Services, Institute for Forensic Psychiatry, and the Special Institute for Persons with Mental and Physical Disabilities, were trained on this important form of therapy.

To complement the theoretical aspects and provide the trainees with practical knowledge, some of the sessions were conducted in the Dubrava Prison, in a section which houses prisoners with both mental and somatic problems. This on-site training allowed the participants to observe and understand the application of OT principles in a real-life setting, thus enhancing their learning experience by connecting theory and practice.

These cascade training sessions allowed the participants to further improve their skills in applying the OT Guidelines and tools in prisons and other closed institutions, a concept which was thus far not utilised in a structured manner. Furthermore, training healthcare and correctional professionals together helps them further strengthen the inter-institutional cooperation in the treatment and rehabilitation of some of the most vulnerable members of the society.

Each of these sessions were facilitated by two trainers who had participated in the ToT in January and were supervised and mentored by a Council of Europe consultant who has been involved in the process since the very beginning, thus further strengthening institutional capacity to provide training.

The activity was conducted under the auspices of the Council of Europe project “Improvement of the treatment of persons deprived of liberty”.

 

 

*All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions, or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United National Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.

Istog/ Istok 26 March 2024
  • Diminuer la taille du texte
  • Augmenter la taille du texte
  • Imprimer la page