Professor András Sajó convened the Courts in Dialogue course for students in the Human Rights LLM, Human Rights MA and Comparative Constitutional Law LLM programs for the ninth time, between January 20 and 22, 2019. The group was hosted by Judge Péter Paczolay.
Students spent two days at the European Court of Human Rights. The program included a Chamber hearing, about the A.M. v. France (no. 12148/18) case. In addition, the group attended classes by Judge Péter Paczolay and Judge Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque as well as by Professor Sajó and a senior staff lawyer from the Registry.
This is how the students recall their experience:
Agostina Allori, HR LL.M
“I am truly grateful to CEU for the opportunity take part in the Courts in Dialogue course. It was a very meaningful experience for my professional development, since I am conducting my LL.M thesis research on dialogues between courts. Having attended a hearing at the Inter-American Court before, participating in a Chamber at the ECtHR allowed me to discover important links and differences between the two regional human rights bodies. The course also reinforced the theoretical knowledge we had acquired during the first semester.”
Ana Cuca, HR MA
“The Courts in Dialogue course was of great importance for me and probably one of the most interesting experiences that I have had while being at the CEU. This course gave me a chance, for the first time, to visit the European Court of Human Rights and see where the judgments that I have been reading about are made. The program of the course was extremely interesting, primarily because it gave me insight to the work of the Court. It was also critical and the judges we met talked about the challenges the Court is facing – such perspective would be hard to get if we did not have this course. It also gave us a chance to participate in a Chamber hearing on a topic that had been very well covered in our courses before, and therefore we had a broader understanding of the legal issues that were raised by the applicant. I would recommend to everyone to apply for this course in the future!”
Ema Isufaj, HR MA
“I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to visit the European Courts of Human Rights. It was for me special not only because it was my first time there, but also for the possibility to attend a Chamber hearing. Witnessing the work of the Court in person is an amazing experience for every human rights lawyer, I must say. Thank you, CEU for making this happen!”
Agnieszka Januszczyk, HR MA
“Having studied in depth the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights in the past few months, I had an exceptional opportunity to experience, first-hand, how exactly the Court operates. Participating in lectures and meetings with the Judges and staff working at the Court was informative, inspiring and provided a valuable insight into the challenges of human rights protection as seen ‘from the bench’. The Courts in Dialogue course is unparalleled in that it combines the theory and praxis of the European human rights regime, and for me personally, the pinnacle of our Strasbourg trip was watching the Chamber hearing in A.M. v. France. I am very grateful to the CEU Legal Department, and in particular Professor Sajó and Professor Polgári, for this memorable experience.”
Taras Leshkovych, HR LL.M
“For me personally, the biggest value of this course was the opportunity to acquire first-hand experience of the work of the European Court of Human Rights, witness the hearing of a case and connect the theoretical aspects of the Court's procedure that we have learned in classes with its practical application in the courtroom. In addition, lectures from the judges of the Court provided a valuable contribution to my understanding of the Convention system and the challenges that it faces nowadays.”
Patriciah Joseph, CCL LL.M
“The Courts in Dialogue course gave me a maiden opportunity to experience first-hand how the Court operates. It was a useful lesson in practice, as it enabled me to understand better and connect in-class learning with a real-life case in court. Discussions around the Court’s work, including its linkages to other processes and implications for national courts indeed brought to life the real meaning of Courts in Dialogue. This was a double win for me having never interacted with European cases before I came to CEU. I am indebted to CEU for this great opportunity!”