What We Do
We Work in
3 Ways
Conferences, Seminars, Training & Judicial Exchanges
Background
Since its inception, the Foundation has worked to provide links between the English legal system and the legal systems in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In recent years it has widened its work to an international audience. If the Foundation considers a project is right it is able to offer assistance working in partnership across the globe.
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The Foundation appreciates that learning from a peer provides the most effective form of training. The Foundation has therefore built-up strong links at all levels within the English and Welsh judiciary who we are able to call upon to share their extensive experience. This ensures that the Foundation is able to develop and deliver unique programmes that are most suitable to the specific requirements of each country where it works.
We provide conferences, seminars, training and judicial exchanges focussing on the procedures and role of the European Court of Justice, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, the principles of human rights as they affect the work of national courts, ADR (particularly mediation), and modern methods of case management as applied by judges and court administrators.
The Foundation selects two Post-Graduates, through its project work, to whom it offers Slynn Fellowships.
These young lawyers will work with Slynn partners to gain experience in their areal of law.
We organise an annual lecture given by leading experts on topics of current interest. Please see our lectures page for further information.
We run and participate in Conferences throughout the world. For example, we played a leading role in conferences of senior judges in Paris considering some of the problems posed by the threat of terrorism and another on serious crime.
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In addition the Foundation provides seminars wherever our partners require them. To date we have provided these in Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Dubai, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
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We provide training courses in a range of areas including judicial ethics, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Examples of these can be found here.
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We also arrange for overseas judges to come to the UK to study court procedures. For example, we organised an intensive programme in London and Edinburgh for a delegation of judges and court administrators. More information see Where we work.
Our Fellowships
Our Fellowships help us to build strong links with young lawyers in the countries where we work.
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Since 1999 the Foundation has awarded 17 Fellowships to graduates from Finland, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia Lithuania and Ukraine. The last Slynn Fellowships were awarded to two Fellows from Albania.
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In 2021 due to the ongoing impact of COVID, the Foundation was unable to offer its usual Fellowships. The trustees elected to use its Fellowship funds to assist women judges fleeing Afghanistan (see our Fellowship page).
Annual Lectures
Annual Lectures are an important feature of our activities. We are fortunate in our ability to attract high quality speakers on a range of topics covering our areas of work.
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Past speakers have included The Rt Hon the Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers the retired President of the UK Supreme Court, the President of the European Court of Justice, Sir Crispin Tickell, Judge Rosalyn Higgins (the President of the International Court in The Hague), Lord Hannay, Christopher Patten, Sir Nicolas Bratza (a Judge of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg) and Jean-Marc Sauvé (Vice-President of the Conseil d’Ếtat in France) .
