Femicide in the Republic of Kosovo: Legal framework and judicial practice (2018–2022)

The report “Femicide in the Republic of Kosovo: Legal framework and judicial practice (2018–2022)” is an in-depth exploration of femicide in Kosovo, which covers the legal framework, statistics, and judicial practice presented through case studies, and provides key findings and recommendations. The report provides an overview of international standards and domestic legal frameworks, highlighting recent improvements as well as legislative shortcomings. Additionally, the report includes information on statistics and data collection in cases of domestic violence and femicide, as well as data on processed femicides and attempted femicides between 2018 and 2022 in Kosovo. Furthermore, the report contains a detailed analysis of four case studies, where specific cases of femicide were presented through brief summary of the case, perpetrator’s personality and behaviour, data on the victim, and criminal proceedings and sanction. Key findings and recommendations are provided at the end of the report to address identified issues and improve justice for victims.

Year of Publication: 2024

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Guidelines on Addressing Femicide Cases – The Handbook for the Judiciary

The Guidelines on Addressing Femicide Cases – The Handbook for the Judiciary aims to improve and harmonise judicial practices across the region. This handbook contains valuable information for the proper qualification of criminal offences, along with recommendations for the best judicial practices in assessing aggravating and mitigating circumstances. Additionally, the guidelines provide recommendations for protecting the rights of victims of attempted femicide in criminal proceedings, especially considering their rights to be treated with dignity and respect, to avoid prejudices, the right to protection of their identity and safety, and their right to seek compensation for non-material damage resulting from the crime.

Year of Publication: 2023.

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Judicial Response to Femicide in the Western Balkans: Legal Framework and Judicial Practice

The regional report on judicial response to femicide in the Western Balkans is a shortened and adapted version of the national researches on femicide conducted in all Western Balkans states during the last three years. The main aim of this report is to present, very briefly, the current state of affairs regarding the judicial response to femicide in the Western Balkans states. A short legal overview enables readers to get familiar with the respective national criminal legislation concerning different types of murders, because that legislation is available to prosecutors and judges when it comes to qualifying the criminal offences. In addition, two selected case studies per country give a glimpse of the court proceedings and sanctions imposed on perpetrators of femicide, while provided comments are reminders on what should be done differently in order to ensure proper judicial response to femicide. At the end, several recommendations are given, that are important, relevant and applicable in every Western Balkans state, while more national specific recommendations are part of the national reports.

Year of Publication: 2023

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Femicide in the Republic of North Macedonia: The state of affairs, the legal framework and the judicial practice (2018-2022)

The publication focuses on the analysis of the legal framework regulating the crime of murder in North Macedonia and an analysis of the judicial practice in the period from 2018 to 2022, which includes the legal elements and features of the criminal acts of murder/femicide, phenomenological characteristics of committed crimes, profiles of perpetrators and victims, criminal sanctions, the length of court proceedings, as well as decision-making on the property claims. Brief overview of the key conventions defining the standards for the basic human rights of women (CEDAW, Istanbul convention) and its significance is presented as well. In its final part the research presents several isolated cases of femicide which are described in detail, in the form of case studies. Key findings and recommendations are presented at the end of the publication.

Year of Publication: 2023

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Gender Equality and Discrimination on the Grounds of Sex

This guide provides insight into the key principles regarding gender equality and discrimination on the grounds of sex, as developed by the European Court of Human Rights. In Part One, the authors provide a high-level synthesis of the jurisprudence of the Court on the issue of gender equality and discrimination on grounds of sex. The synthesis is divided into thematic topics, including discrimination on the grounds of sex in relation to: gender-based violence, respect for private and family life, employment, Roma woman, refugees and asylum-seekers. The Guide covers gender stereotyping in legal judgments and discrimination in the course of judicial proceedings. The Guide also touches on related grounds of discrimination, such as disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity and transgender rights, but only insofar as these issues intersect with discrimination against women. Also, this Guide includes an overview of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on women´s rights in the Western Balkans. Part two of this Guide summarises a number of key cases amongst the Court´s jurisprudence on gender discrimination.

Year of Publication: 2022

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Analysis of Case-Law on Femicide and Attempted Femicide in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2017 – 2021)

This publication presents a comprehensive analysis of the legal framework regulating the crime of murder in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a case-law analysis covering the legal qualification of criminal offences, the phenomenological characteristics of the committed crimes, the perpetrator profiles, victim profiles, criminal sanctions, duration of court proceedings, as well as how civil claims for damages are handled. In Part Two are selected five cases of homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated homicide and domestic violence involving homicide, which, in the researchers’ opinion, were specific to the phenomenon of femicide in terms of the type of criminal offence, method of commission, means of commission, the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, presence of gender biases and stereotypes, and gender discrimination. At the end are summed key findings and recommendations.

Year of Publication: 2022

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Gender Equality Online Training

The AIRE Centre has designed an online gender equality training for judicial professionals with the UK Government’s support. The online training is available to judges, prosecutors, police officers, social workers, law students, media professionals and all other interested individuals.

The training is available in all languages spoken in the Western Balkans. You can find out more about the training in these flyers: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and English.

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European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)

The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR; formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is an international convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. The Convention was opened for signature in Rome on 4 November 1950 and came into force on 3 September 1953. It was the first instrument to give effect to certain of the rights stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and make them binding.

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Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention)

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, better known as the Istanbul Convention, is a human rights treaty of the Council of Europe against violence against women and domestic violence which was opened for signature on 11 May 2011, in Istanbul, Turkey. The convention aims at prevention of violence, victim protection and to end the impunity of perpetrators.

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Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly. Described as an international bill of rights for women, it was instituted on 3 September 1981 and has been ratified by 189 states.

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