The OSCE Office in Baku to train candidate judges and Constitutional Court lawyers

BAKU, 9 October 2007 - The OSCE Office in Baku launched today the first phase of a training programme aimed at supporting the judiciary's professional development.

A series of courses covering civil law, human rights and criminal law matters, with special emphasis on European Court of Human Rights cases concerning Azerbaijan, will be held over a period of three months.

"Reinforcement of the capacity of the judiciary is key in Azerbaijan. It is especially important that judicial personnel are fully familiar with and apply case law of the European Court of Human Rights," said Jose-Luis Herrero, Head of the OSCE Office in Baku.

The trainees include 102 candidate judges plus staff lawyers of the Constitutional Court. Each training module will consist of lectures and practical workshops. The courses will address possible shortcomings in the existing legislation and offer solutions based on international best practices.

The project is being implemented in cooperation with international experts, the Justice Ministry, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court and the Judicial Legal Council.