Liverpool Law School hosted their inaugural Summer School on the Law of the Council of Europe this July. The participants of the Summer School were greeted by professors Fiona Beveridge, Valsamis Mitsilegas, Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou and Dr Vassilis Tzevelekos who led the organisation and shaping of this School.
Proceedings were opened by John Howell MP, Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe who discussed the role of the Council, in confronting new challenges to human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
The two-week Summer School concluded on Friday 14 July with a keynote speech from the former President of the European Court of Human Rights, Professor Robert Spano, who spoke on The Council of Europe and the European Union – A Unified Political Community for the Protection of Human Rights?
Judge Spano said:
It was a great pleasure to take part in the Summer School and to be back in Liverpool. The Summer School at the University of Liverpool is another testament to the great efforts and dedication of Professor Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou and his team to increase knowledge and awareness of the importance of the Council of Europe and its judicial body, the European Court of Human Rights. The future of human rights in Europe is uncertain. Therefore, academic events such as these have become more crucial than ever.
Just 40 participants were selected from more than 250 applicants to discuss ways to tackle the array of crises that Europe is currently facing from climate change to public health emergencies. Delegates heard from world leading experts and human rights professors on a wide range of issues from counter-terrorism to a Hillsborough Law.
Ten participants were able to take part in the Summer School because they won the highly competitive scholarships, with five allocated to participants from Ukraine. These scholarships were provided by sponsors which included the Council of Europe, the University of Liverpool, Gibson Dunn Law Firm and personally Robert Spano. One scholarship was allocated to the representative of our twin Ukrainian University – Sumy State University.
L-R Professor Kanstantsin Dzehstiarou, John Howell, MP, and Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Dr Amanda Cahill-Ripley, Dr Olaf Köndge, from the Open Council of Europe Academic Networks (OCEAN) – Council of Europe (Co-organiser), Professor Valsamis Mitsilegas, Dr Vassilis Tzevelekos.
Professor Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou said: “The University of Liverpool has a longstanding connection with the Council or Europe and the European Court of Human Rights – a little known fact is that the first President of the European Court, Lord McNair, was once a Vice Chancellor of the University of Liverpool!
“It was a pleasure to continue this long-standing tradition of collaboration between our University and the Council of Europe at the Summer School, and I’d like to thank all speakers and delegates who came from all over Europe to take part in the fascinating discussions. Hopefully this will be the first of many future Summer Schools to come.”