Global toolkit for judicial actors

Freedom of expression and access to information are fundamental freedoms as well as enablers to ensure the rule of law, and human rights more broadly. Journalists, as watchdogs of our societies, have an essential role to play in this regard to ensure every citizen’s right to information. Yet, between 2006 and 2020, over 1,200 journalists have been killed for doing their work, with close to 9 out of 10 cases of these killings remaining judicially unresolved according to UNESCO data.

It is therefore crucial to raise the capacities and strengthen the knowledge of the judiciary in order to guarantee international legal standards on freedom of expression, access to information, and the safety of journalists. Through five comprehensive modules, this toolkit aims to reinforce the practical application of universal standards on human rights, by bringing in approaches of regional human rights courts as well as perspectives from national legal systems. It incorporates examples and debates originating in different legal traditions, including the common law and civil law systems, to provide a global framework for judges and judicial actors around the world.