Call for Applications: Freedom of Expression Litigation Surgery for Central and Eastern Europe

Litigation surgery participants will have a chance exchange knowledge and experience with their peers, including by discussing their ongoing cases. The surgery will enable a discussion of challenges presented by litigating media freedom cases. For instance sourcing cases, securing necessary evidence, building legal arguments, choosing appropriate remedies and legal fora, ensuring the client’s safety, and using litigation as a tool for changing laws and practices.

Applicants are required to provide a description of a current or potential case. The case must relate to freedom of expression (preferably involving journalists or media outlets). Those who do not have a current case of this kind may provide instead a law, practice or policy relating to freedom of expression that they intend to challenge through litigation.

Objectives

• Media Defence provides legal support to journalists, bloggers and independent media. In recent years, Media Defence has supported a significant number of cases involving online media. These have included criminal and civil defamation, challenging social media blocking and Internet shutdowns, contesting cybercrimes legislation, ‘false news’, as well as calling for greater protections for privacy and source protection.
• The litigation surgery is a space for litigators to share technical legal expertise on the relevant thematic issues. It is also a space for litigators to network and find out what other litigators in Central and Eastern Europe are working on.
• Following the surgery, Media Defence will be open to supporting participants’ current and future cases, including through ad hoc legal support and partnerships.

Costs of Participation

• Media Defence will cover airfare and accommodation, and provide a modest per diem.
• Additionally, they are piloting a new stipend. This will to help cover caring responsibilities and make their events more accessible to all participants. Participants who have significant caring duties outside of work, such as childcare, elder care, or care for family members with disabilities, are eligible to request a stipend of £50 per day. This stipend is available for any participant and is intended as a contribution to offset related costs and remove participation barriers for those with care commitments. Successful candidates will receive further information.

Eligibility Criteria

• A maximum of 12 participants will be selected will be selected on the following criteria:
  • The surgery is open to lawyers who work and reside in the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine;
  • They must have a demonstrated interest in, and knowledge of, the right to freedom of expression. Ideally backed up by the experience of litigating freedom of expression cases;
  • Applicants can either be working in private practice or be working for or be affiliated with NGOs promoting the right to freedom of expression in Central and Eastern Europe through litigation.
  • Exceptionally strong applications from lawyers who have not yet undertaken freedom of expression work, but have experience litigating other human rights cases and have a strong interest in undertaking freedom of expression cases will be considered as well.
  • Applicants must be sufficiently proficient in English to be able to participate freely in discussions and explain and dissect complex legal issues.
  • Applicants must be prepared to share and discuss freedom of expression cases they are litigating or intend to litigate.
  • The lawyers must demonstrate interest in international/European human rights law;
  • Media Defence is committed to advancing equality and diversity. They will therefore consider gender, age and country of origin in its selection of participants.

For more information, visit Media Defence.