The D4J Criminal Law Clinic in Prizren Gets off on the Right Foot

Prizren – March 6, 2017 – Two groups Students from the Demand for Justice Program’s Live Legal Clinic at the University of Prizren had an opportunity to see firsthand how judicial proceedings work when they attended court hearings at the Basic Court in Prizren. For many, this was the first time they experienced this sort of engagement with the courts.

The first group attended a court hearing in the department of serious crimes, where defendants were accused of abusing official position or authority as provided in Article 422 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo. The other group of the students attended a preliminary court hearing in the General Department addressing a Threat as provided in Article 185 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo.

Witnessing the development of these cases provides an opportunity for students to see the concepts they are studying in practice and should prove useful for their advancement in the field of justice as well as prepare them for their future profession.

The D4J Live Criminal Law Clinic also offers students of the Faculty of Law the opportunity to assist KBA advocates in their pro bono representation of poor criminal defendants. The Clinic serves 14 students, each of whom will have the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge in practice by working on live legal cases under the mentorship of a KBA advocate during their fourth year of law school or Master’s program.