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Description
Programme outcome the project contributes to: “Improved capacity of Bulgarian Authorities in the area of domestic and gender-based violence”.
The project addresses the need for strengthening the capacity of the Judiciary and improving the institutional cooperation in prevention and counteraction to Domestic and Gender-based Violence (DGBV). The project activities are consistent with the Justice Programme''s objective for strengthening the rule of law and contribute to the achievement of the Programme''s outcome for ensuring improved capacity of Bulgarian authorities in the DGBV-area.
The major mechanism, envisaged under the project to achieve the results is the development and delivery of training on implementation of the international standards for protection against DGBV and prevention of this problem. In order to increase the effectiveness of training, it will be offered in various complementary formats and the content of the various training events will be tailored to the specific needs of professionals in the Judiciary, administration and law enforcement on cases involving DGBV.
Adaptation and pilot delivery of the e-learning module of the Council of Europe HELP Programme on "Violence against Women and Domestic Violence" that provides a systematic overview of the international and European legal framework as well as the fundamental judgements and decisions delivered by the European Court of Human Rights in this field, is also envisaged under the project.
Alongside the different training activities under the project, a Case management guide on DGBV-issues, incorporating the relevant European standards will be developed to support the day-to-day work of Bulgarian magistrates. It will be elaborated on the basis of translation and adaptation of the training resources developed by the Council of Europe in this field and will provide guidance on the efficient handling of cases involving DGBV, thus ensuring uniformity and consistency of the case law.
Summary of project results
The project aims at strengthening the capacity of the Judiciary, law enforcement and administration to implement more effectively the established standards for protection and institutional practices for prevention and counteraction to Domestic and Gender-based Violence (DGBV). The set of activities wasaimed at enhancement the competences of the Judiciary and the competent authorities to implement a victim-centered approach and to improve the institutional co-operation in preventing and combating DGBV.
The project included several complementary training components aimed at enhancing the professional knowledge and skills of the project target groups (and Bulgarian magistrates in particular) to effectively apply international and European standards for prevention, counteraction and protection from domestic and gender-based violence, as well as to improve inter-institutional interaction in this field.
The project developed a Case management guide on Domestic and Gender Based Violence issues for Magistrates. The training manual elaborated under the project integrates European standards in the field and presents the problems and challenges identified in the investigation and resolution of domestic violence cases, as well as possible solutions in the context of the current legislation and the practice of the ECtHR and national courts in such cases.
With the assistance of the Bulgarian representative to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, a selection and translation into Bulgarian of 36 significant decisions of the CEDAW Committee, as an authoritative source for the interpretation and implementation of the UN Convention of the same name and its Optional Protocol, was carried out.
The Project promoter prepared and piloted an adapted version of the Council of Europe HELP e-learning course on "Violence against Women and Domestic Violence" for a mixed group of legal professionals and experts from the competent institutions.
A public discussion on issues related to the implementation of specialized programmes for perpetrators of domestic violence and the potential of probation measures was conducted.
The capacity building component comprises several complementary training components where 535 representatives of the project target groups were trained, including 469 legal professionals, thus exceeding by 50% the target indicator on the number of legal professionals trained to work with victims of domestic and gender-based violence under the project.
A team of renowned national and international experts in the field developed a Case management guide on Domestic and Gender Based Violence (DGBV) issues for Magistrates. The training manual elaborated under the project integrates European standards in the field and presents the problems and challenges identified in the investigation and resolution of domestic violence cases, as well as possible solutions in the context of the current legislation and the practice of the ECtHR and national courts in such cases.
The project provided access to selected key jurisprudence of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) in Bulgarian. A selection and translation into Bulgarian of 36 significant decisions of the CEDAW Committee, as an authoritative source for the interpretation and implementation of the UN Convention of the same name and its Optional Protocol, was carried out. The translated versions of the decisions were reviewed and refined, in accordance with the legal terminology in Bulgarian, to respond to the needs of legal practitioners and published in the e-library of the NIJ e-learning platform.
The project promoter prepared and piloted an adapted version of the Council of Europe HELP e-learning course on “Violence against Women and Domestic Violence” for a mixed group of legal professionals and experts from the competent institutions.