Improving the guarantees of a fair trial in the judiciary

The project aims at enhancing the judicial capacity to apply the ECHR standards and guarantee a fair trial. An analysis of the ECtHR judgements v. Bulgaria identifying systemic problems in relation to the far trial standards will help formulate specific recommendations and proposals for legislative amendments to address these problems. A survey among magistrates, lawyers and civil society representatives will identify the obstacles and difficulties experienced for the direct application of the ECHR standards at national level, as well as magistrates’ needs in this regard. A specialized data base comprising national judicial acts relying directly at the ECHR will help enhance the judicial capacity to apply directly ECHR standards. A Training Guide on ECHR Standards for junior judges will guarantee sustainability of the project activities. The project targets all interested parties: magistrates, lawyers and legal professionals in general, as well as representatives of the civil society that work in the area of human rights. Representatives of the executive and legislature. The proposed project activities are in compliance with objective 2 ‘Proposals for Improvements in the Judiciary’ and implement strategic objective 5 of the Strategy for Judicial Reform (recast), specific objectives 1 and 3. Expected results: recommendations for enhancing the guarantees of a fair trial; identification of the obstacles for applying ECHR standards at national level and the magistrates’ needs in this regard; a specialized data base to support the work of judges and lawyers in their work on human rights violations; raising junior judges’ awareness on the application of the ECHR at national level. The project activities will be promoted by means of two press conferences and one final conference, as well as publications in online and offline media.

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