The participants of the YOUthACT camp, in the role of litigants at the NIJ

09. 07. 2021

On Thursday, July 8, 2021, at the National Institute of Justice, four teams of students-participants of the summer camp "YOUthACT - Youth for Justice", demonstrated, in two rounds, the necessary skills in an impromptu court hearing.

Being previously initiated in the ways of defending human rights, having as tutors including NIJ graduates - Sergiu Socevoi, candidate to the position of prosecutor, and Irina Moraru, candidate to the position of judge, the high school students took on the role of applicant, Government representative and third party intervener, simulating a trial at the European Court of Human Rights. The scenario of the meeting, focused on the issue of children's rights, especially on those related to the best interests of the child and the impact of prejudices in a process of establishing custody during parental divorce, was developed by the NIJ trainer Ion Bocan, candidate for the position of judge.

The originality of the presentation form, with pertinent legal arguments, the language used and the rhetorical skills were appreciated by the members of the jury: representatives of the partner institutions: NIJ, UNDP Moldova and INVENTO, who assumed the role of judges of the Strasbourg Court. The team formed by Corina Marin, Vlada Amortitu, Ionela Ciobanu, Daniela Armanu, Sandu Batrincea, Adriana Verdes and Valeria Antohi was more persuasive in front of the court, being declared the winner.

The summer camp "YOUthAct - Youth for Justice", which takes place between July 5-9, 2021, is attended by 28 high school students from Criuleni, Cimislia, Comrat and Soroca, with leadership potential, eager to know, find solutions and act to respect human rights. The initiative is part of the project "Strengthening efficiency and access to justice in Moldova", implemented by UNDP Moldova with the support of Sweden. The event was organized in partnership with the National Institute of Justice.