Deadline: 3-Jul-23
In partnership with the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, Media Defence is calling for applications from lawyers based in Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Mongolia, Thailand and Vietnam to participate in a forthcoming litigation surgery on the right to freedom of expression.
Participants will become active members of a press freedom legal network through which there will be opportunity for engagement regionally and internationally. All applicants are required to submit for discussion a current or potential case relating to freedom of expression. If applicants do not have a case, they may submit a relevant law, practice or policy relating to freedom of expression that they would like to challenge in court.
Litigation surgeries are intended to be a space for litigators to receive technical legal expertise on the relevant thematic issues. It is also a space for litigators to network and find out what other litigators in Southeast Asia are working on.
The litigation surgery will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 3 to 5 October 2023.
Litigation Surgery Objectives
- Media Defence provides legal support to journalists, bloggers and independent media. In recent years, Media Defence has supported a significant number of cases involving online media. These have included criminal and civil defamation, challenging social media blocking and Internet shutdowns, contesting cybercrimes legislation, ‘false news’, as well as calling for greater protections for privacy and source protection.
- Specifically, the objectives of the litigation surgery are:
- To equip participants with skills and knowledge to litigate using national and international laws as well as international mechanisms relevant to freedom of expression;
- To build a press freedom network and help facilitate its engagement with international legal mechanisms and global civil society initiatives; and
- To assist and develop working relationships amongst lawyers undertaking such cases.
Eligibility Criteria
- Participants will be selected on the following criteria:
- The surgery is open to lawyers who work and reside in the following countries: Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Mongolia, Thailand and Vietnam;
- Applicants can either be working in private practice or be working for or be affiliated with NGOs promoting the right to freedom of expression in Southeast Asia through litigation. Exceptionally strong applications from lawyers who have not yet undertaken freedom of expression work, but have experience litigating other human rights cases and have a strong interest in undertaking freedom of expression cases will be considered as well.
- A maximum of 12 participants will be selected;
- Applicants must be proficient in English;
- They must have a demonstrated interest in and/or knowledge of the right to freedom of expression and/or related issues;
- The lawyers must have a demonstrated interest in and/or knowledge of international and regional human rights law;
- With their application, applicants are requested to submit a case study of a case that they are litigating or intend to litigate and that could be discussed during the litigation surgery. The cases submitted must involve a violation of the fundamental right to freedom of expression. As set out, it will suffice for participants who do not have a case that is pending to have identified a relevant law, practice or policy relating to freedom of expression that they would like to challenge in court. However, such participants must demonstrate their ability and willingness to pursue the case after the surgery;
- The following non-exhaustive list of themes are a guide for the type of cases that could be submitted with the application:
- Defamation (criminal or civil);
- Violence against journalists, including physical attacks and online violence;
- Restriction of online or print media;
- Online privacy; and
- National security.
- Media Defence is committed to advancing equality and diversity and will therefore consider gender, age and country of origin in its selection of participants.
For more information, visit Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Litigation Surgery.