OSCE trains legal professionals on preventing domestic violence

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku and Azerbaijan’s Justice Academy organized a two-day train-the-trainers course on 1 and 2 December 2014, focusing on the legal norms of preventing domestic violence.

More than 30 experts from the Justice Academy as well as judges, prosecutors and lawyers participated in the course.

“The OSCE has been regularly supporting both initial and continuous professional training of judges, prosecutors and lawyers in Azerbaijan. We have been actively supporting the institutional capacity-building of the Justice Academy so that it can contribute to the efficient implementation of the Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence,” said Blerim Vela, Head of the Human Dimension Unit at the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku. “We are happy to be part of the ongoing justice reform in Azerbaijan and support the Justice Academy, as well as other institutions in this area.”

The train-the-trainers course was led by international experts and presented interactive tools that Justice Academy experts can use for the training of legal professionals. The course also offered practical exercises to improve the presentation skills of the participants.

At the same time, the training on legal norms related specifically to preventing domestic violence. This part of the course, delivered by international and national experts, aimed at building knowledge about the relevant international standards, implementation mechanisms and assessment of domestic violence legislation as well as about reporting on the implementation of these instruments. The participants also took part in a simulation exercise based on a legal case of domestic violence prepared by the experts.