ECLJ Hosts American Law Students and Distinguished Speakers

(Strasbourg, France) – Every year, the Regent University School of Law Summer Program is conducted with the close collaboration of the European Centre for Law & Justice (ECLJ) in Strasbourg, France. The program offers law students an opportunity to examine international human rights issues from a Christian perspective while studying in France. The city of Strasbourg provides a unique environment for these studies, as it is home to both the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe. Complementing their studies, the students visit these sites during the program.

The program is currently comprised of thirty-four students from five different law schools, including Handong University School of Law (South Korea). In addition to attending classes taught by several American scholars, the students enjoy a class on civil liberties and national security taught by former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.

As part of the program, the ECLJ host ed several distinguished experts to discuss topics related to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The ECLJ hosted a conference in which Judge Vincent De Gaetano, Judge on ECHR, from Malta, addressed the students concerning the makeup and history of the court. Judge De Gaetano outlined how the court takes cases, the court’s jurisdiction, and several watershed cases. A reception in his honor followed the presentation. In the past years, the ECLJ was also honored to host President Jean-Paul Costa, Judge Dragoljub Popovic and Judge Ann Power, from the ECHR, for the Regent University School of Law Summer Program.

The ECLJ hosted also a presentation conducted by Mr. Hans-Christian Kruger, former Secretary to the European Commission of Human Rights and former Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Mr. Kruger highlighted the history of ECHR’s jurisprudence and discussed several high profile cases decided by the court.

Finally, the ECLJ hosted Mr. Juris Rudevskis, lawyer at the Registrar of the European Court of Human Rights, who delivered an interesting discussion concerning the principle of subsidiarity within European law.

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See the Regent University School of Law Summer Program web page.
See pictures
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The European Centre for Law and Justice is an international, Non-Governmental Organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights in Europe and worldwide. The ECLJ holds special Consultative Status before the United Nations/ECOSOC since 2007. The ECLJ engages legal, legislative, and cultural issues by implementing an effective strategy of advocacy, education, and litigation. The ECLJ advocates in particular the protection of religious freedoms and the dignity of the person and life with the European Court of Human Rights and the other mechanisms afforded by the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and others. The ECLJ bases its action on “the spiritual and moral values which are the common heritage of European peoples and the true source of individual freedom, political liberty and the rule of law, principles which form the basis of all genuine democracy” (Preamble of the Statute of the Council of Europe).