EJTN Training on EU Asylum Law, Lisbon, 5-6 November 2015 EUROPEAN - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

EJTN Training on EU Asylum Law, Lisbon, 5-6 November 2015 „EUROPEAN CHAPTER OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REFUGEE LAW JUDGES (IARLJ)“ Boštjan Zalar, Vice-President of the European Chapter of the IARLJ bostjan.zalar@sodisce.si

Article 2 of the Constitution of the IARLJ ”The association seeks to foster recognition that protection from persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion is an individual right established under international law, and that the determination of refugee status and its cessation should be subject to the rule of law . ”

Internal structure of the IARLJ: - General Assembly - President and the Council (executive decisions), - Chapters: Europe, Austral-Asia, Africa, America, - Working Parties: Human Rights Nexus, Membership of a Particular Social Group, Expert Evidence, Subsidiary Protection, Vulnerable Persons, Asylum Procedures, COI and Country Guidance, Exclusion Clauses and Statelessness.

The European Chapter of the IARLJ: - European Chapter as autonomous legal entity (2013), but part of IARLJ, - around 250 members of the European Chapter, - a member of the European Chapter is automatically a member of the IARLJ, - individual membership fee for one year: 20.00 EUR - main source of budget (UNHCR and ad hoc contributors).

The main activities of the European Chapter: - regional/world conferences every 2/3 years (Berlin meetings each year), - training services in Europe and elsewhere, - judicial check-lists, guidelines, conference papers, - tripartite meetings: CJEU-ECtHR-IARLJ (UNHCR), - EASO-IARLJ training materials, - other cooperation: EJTN, ERA, UNHCR ... TAIEX, CoE, Commission, ECRE, HHC, AEAJ

Examples of publications of European Chapter: - Judicial Criteria for Assessing COI (Nov. 2006) - Guidelines on the Judicial Approach to Expert Medical Evidence (June 2010) - Preliminary references to the CJEU: A note for national judges handling asylum related cases (2013) - Credibility Assessment in EU Asylum Systems, May 2013 (UNHCR-HHC-IARLJ),

Examples of publications of European Chapter: - Article 15c (serious harm) QD (IARLJ- EASO), Dec. 2014 - Art. 12&17 (exclusion) QD (IARLJ- EASO), Dec. 2015

Core judicial training materials: IARLJ-EASO 3 Years Project: - Introduction to the CEAS (Dec. 2015) - Qualification for International Protection (2016) - Access to Procedures (2016-2017) -Credibility and Evidence Assessment (2016- 2017)