In January-May 2017, the Human Rights Academy of the Public Defender held short training courses for high school students of Tbilisi. The courses were led by representatives of the Department of Criminal Justice of the Public Defender's Office. A total of 450 school students attended the courses. The main topic of the courses was the rights of persons above 14 years of age during their contact with the law enforcement agencies, namely the safeguards against the violation of their rights during application of police measures (stopping on the street, questioning, identification, etc) and/or criminal procedures (detention, search, interrogation) against them.

A lecture was delivered on the abovementioned issues for the target group of schoolchildren for the first time within the framework of the Human Rights Academy of the Public Defender. The format and content of the educational activity was selected according to its relevance and was aimed at raising schoolchildren’s awareness of their rights. The course mainly concerned the rights guarantees for minors during their contact with the law enforcement agencies, including the right to an effective remedy, the right to a lawyer and a legal representative, the right to silence, the right to consideration of their best interests and other specific circumstances envisaged in the Juvenile Justice Code.

The aim of the educational activity was to promote peaceful and legal resolution of possible confrontation between police officers and minors, which in turn, lowers mistrust of the youth in the police and law enforcement agencies, prepares juveniles for proper perception of various types of conflicting circumstances of the modern society and their peaceful resolution through the effective use of the knowledge, and develops the sense of respect for law in them.

The teaching process included a review of local and international laws. The teaching was interactive – introduction of theoretical materials was followed by discussion/debates, casus discussion, role playing, group work and presentation of results.

The Human Rights Academy of the Public Defender will continue educational activities in public schools in the future too.