Conference on application of European Convention, role of judges comes to an end
By Sara Rajabova
"Application of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on National Level and the Role of National Judges" conference wrapped up in Baku on October 25.
Co-organized by Azerbaijan`s Supreme Court and the Council of Europe, the two-day international conference was attended by judges and the president of the European Court of Human Rights, more than 60 judges and chairmen of constitutional, supreme, supreme administrative and other courts of the CoE member states and other countries, senior officials at the Secretariat of the Committee of Ministers of the CoE, as well as judges, prosecutors, justice officials, lawyers and human rights experts, AzerTag news agency reported.
The second day of the conference started with the session titled "Dialogue between Judges within the Convention System". Moderator Mikhail Lobov, Head of the Human Rights Policy and Development Department, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, CoE, highlighted the agenda of the session.
Speakers at the conference included Michael O`Boyle, deputy Registrar of the European Court of Human Rights, Morten Ruud, chairperson of the GDR Committee, Council of Europe, and Herdis Thorgeirsdottir, chairperson of the sub-committee on fundamental rights of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the Venice Commission).
The speeches were followed by discussions involving director of the section at the Department for Coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies at the Administration of the Azerbaijani President Chingiz Asgarov.
Asgarov stressed the importance of the Protocol No. 16 of the Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, saying that Azerbaijan has already started the internal procedure to join the document.
Khanlar Hajiyev, the judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Azerbaijan, noted that the exchange of opinions and dialogues is very important.
"We should try not to apply to the convention mechanically. I hope that significant progress will be observed in the improvement of the law," Hajiyev said.
Chairman of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan Ramiz Rzayev said approving the supremacy of law depended on judges.
"Without our decent activity, the human rights system will not be fully restored and the judicial system will be broken. Protection of human rights demands daily hard work," he said.
Philippe Boillat, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, CoE, stressed the importance of the conference and thanked the Azerbaijani government for its hospitality.
The conference was held as part of Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers.