The Law School of Free University of Tbilisi, with USAID Rule of Law Program support, hosted a presentation on an amicus curiae brief that it submitted to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case Figel v. Slovakia.

The brief was prepared by a group of students from the Law School of Free University of Tbilisi: Rati Abuseridze, Ani Pkhakadze, Tamar Tkeshelashvili, Rusudan Gochitashvili, Luka Gogua, Mariam Koberidze, Luka Nishnianidze, Bachana Pirtskhalashvili, and Nitsa Siradze. The work was supervised by guest lecturers from Free University, Vasil Zhizhiashvili and Levan Ramishvili.

This case revolves around the regulations imposed by the Slovakian Public Health Authority in 2021, which banned religious services as part of the COVID-19 restrictions implemented during the pandemic. The ECtHR has yet to establish a comprehensive approach for European states to strike a balance between public health rights and religious freedom during pandemics. By offering its perspective, Free University aimed to assist the Court in shaping a unified practice on this matter. The University’s involvement was based on its competence regarding the case – it has previously addressed the Constitutional Court on constitutional claims related to freedom of religion.

During the presentation, students Ani Pkhakadze, Rati Abuseridze, and Tamar Tkeshelashvili discussed various aspects related to the working process. They covered topics such as the selection of the specific case, the distribution of roles among the students, and the obstacles and challenges they encountered while studying and analyzing Slovak and international legislation.

The students highlighted the valuable experience they gained from researching and analyzing the legislation of a foreign country and comparing it with the standards set by the ECtHR. The presentation concluded with a discussion among the 15 participants. The event took place at the Kakha Bendukidze campus.