The training

Participants were trained thoroughly on all aspects of carrying out a trial observation, including when a trial observer should be sent, international fair trial standards, pre-observation preparation, the conduct and role of a trialobserver, and writing trial observation reports. In addition to interactive sessions, the participantsobserved a mocktrial and reported back their concernsabout inadequacies inthe charges and thehearing.

The training materials

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The trainers

The Honourable Justice Michael Kirby, of the High Court of Australia, led the training. Justice Kirby is one of the top legal minds in the world today, and is an excellent and compelling speaker. He has previously delivered trial observation training for many years throughout the world. Justice Kirby has sat on Australia's highest court since February 1996. Amongst many other honours, in 1991, he was awarded the Human Rights Medal, which recognises his contribution to Australian society through his commitment to human rights, social justice and equality.

Justice Kirby was accompanied by Mr Mark Stephens, the Chair of the IBA's Media Law Committee and a founding partner at Stephens Finers Innocent in London, who is also one of the world's top media lawyers. Mr Stephens is well-known for his commitment to freedom of expression, and has been a key supporter of the Southeast Asian Media Lawyers group since its inception. In 2003 and 2004, Mr Stephens conducted trial observations in Thailand on behalf of the IBAHRI, concerning a case where a human rights activist had been both sued and charged with criminal offences for being quoted about links between the government and a major corporation's success.