18 lawyers and trainee lawyers were trained in the field ofmedia law in order to offer timely and quality legal services to the journalists from the Republic of Moldova. They participated in a program training conducted in Chișinău during July-November 2020 by the Legal Resources Centre from Moldova (LRCM) in cooperation with the Independent Journalism Centre from Moldova (IJC).
The training program for lawyers and trainee lawyers in the field of media law is a response to the urgent need to represent and defend the rights and interests of the media in the Republic of Moldova that encounter flagrant violations of their rights. Together with lawyers, a group of journalists participated in some trainings, sharing the existing challenges and issues of their professional life.
„Nowadays, the world is invaded by fake news, violations of freedom of expression. Especially, in these times it is vital to have a committed and independent media. There is a stringent need for competent lawyers that can defend media’s rights. I hope that the lawyers that participated in this program will use the acquired skills and knowledge for protection of democratic values”, mentioned Adam AMBERG, Head of the Cooperation Department within the Embassy of Sweden in Chișinău.
„In my practice as a lawyer I had cases where I had to defend media representatives. Even with my experience, I learned new things, because the jurisprudence is constantly updating. I hope that journalists will contact me for further collaboration and I will apply the knowledge acquired here”, said Alexei CROITOR, lawyer from Chișinău.
„Due to the fact that Ziarul de Gardă is specialised in writing investigations, our team is often facing attacks or sued in court. This program was very useful, because, as a journalist, I will know better how I can defend my rights. I think in the future, our team will collaborate with the lawyers from this program. It would be great if such trainings continue, because the legislation and the state of affairs are constantly changing”, mentioned Corina ȘEREMET, journalist from Ziarul de Gardă.
„The independent media in the Republic of Moldova rarely afford to hire a lawyer to represent their interests. This is why the local press often search for legal assistance at the IJC. The IJC provides free consultations on issues related to media legislation, and in cases of public interest – representation in court. However, the capacities of the IJC are often conditioned by the small number of lawyers specialized in the field of media law. I hope that the lawyers participating in this training program will collaborate with IJC in order to defend the rights of media representatives”, said Anastasia NANI, Deputy Director of the IJC.
„When freedom of expression is in danger, it is imperative to support and protect media, contributing to a functioning democracy. The LRCM organized this training program to facilitate the future collaboration and share of experience between lawyers and media representatives. After this program, lawyers could offer professional legal assistance to journalists from the Republic of Moldova”, mentioned Vladislav GRIBINCEA, Executive Director of the LRCM.
Trainers of the program specialized in media law were national and international experts: Vladislav GRIBINCEA, lawyer and Executive Director of the LRCM; Dragoș CUCEREANU, ECHR Registry lawyer; Eugeniu RÎBCA, jurist and expert in media law; Bogdan MANOLEA, Executive Director of the Association for Technology and Internet from Romania; and Galina ARAPOVA, expert in freedom of expression from Russia.
The training of the program addressed the following topics:
- Freedom of expression, principles and restrictions (July 31, 2020)
- Defamation/ defence of honour and dignity, the right to intimate, family and private life (4-5 September 2020)
- Access to information of public interest and protection of personal data (1-2 October 2020)
- Relations between the press and the Audiovisual Coordinating Council (30 October 2020)
- Media guarantees in contravention and criminal proceedings (November 27, 2020)
The program was organized in the framework of the project „Institutional support for organizational development” implemented by the LRCM and funded by Sweden.
