In September 2010 EHRAC and Memorial HRC held a two-day training seminar on taking cases to the European Court of Human Rights in Moscow. The 22 seminar participants included lawyers from Memorial HRC’s offices in Chechnya and Ingushetia and advocates from Chechnya, Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria.
During the first day Joanna Evans, EHRAC’s Senior Lawyer, discussed how to present evidence to the European Court effectively, Samantha Knights, EHRAC’s Legal Consultant, advised the participants on how to establish discrimination and EHRAC’s Director, Prof. Philip Leach examined the key aspects of Article 3 (prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
On the second day the participants were given practical guidance on drafting Strasbourg pleadings by Samantha Knights and Prof. Bill Bowring (Chair of EHRAC International Steering Committee) covered the rights to a fair trial and to liberty and security under the European Convention. At the end of the seminars, legal clinics were held during which the participants could discuss actual and pending cases with the expert trainers.
Memorial HRC lawyers working on the joint project with EHRAC also contributed to the sessions led by EHRAC’s experts passing on the skills and knowledge that they have gained to their colleagues from the North Caucasus.
“The seminar was very well organised and the issues raised and discussed were comprehensive and will be fundamental in allowing me to provide more effective legal assistance to people in my work as an advocate.”
Sapiyat Magomadova, advocate, Dagestan
