We are pleased to share the CEELI Institute’s 2024 Annual Report, offering a look at a year shaped by collaboration, professional training, and our enduring commitment to the rule of law. With 96 programs held worldwide, it was our busiest year ever.
Our new report highlights our continued work across four core areas—safeguarding judicial independence, combating corruption, strengthening legal skills, and supporting civil society and human rights defenders—as well as our deepening support for Ukrainian partners. Some of this work includes:
Expanding our judicial exchange networks in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Sub-Saharan Africa, with hundreds of judges engaged through practical tools and peer-to-peer collaboration. We also continued our South Asian judicial education exchange.
Training legal professionals on countering SLAPP cases in the region, just days before the proposed EU anti-SLAPP directive was approved by the European Parliament—an important step in defending free speech from abusive litigation.
Delivering innovative anti-corruption programs, including expert workshops on criminal liability of corporations, asset recovery, and virtual currency investigations. In 2024, we also held CEELI’s first escape room training on open source intelligence.
Publishing key resources for judges:
In 2024, CEELI’s judicial networks focused on translating, disseminating, and promoting a comprehensive guide on judicial vetting(now available in five languages) and a handbook on managing external pressures and preventing corruption (available in nine languages)
As part of an EU-funded project for EU judges, we finalized three judicial guidebooks, providing insights into the evolving European landscape and understanding of the rule of law.
In addition, a new guide released in October 2024 explores how apex European courts can uphold rule of law norms through recent rulings that reinforce judicial independence.
Hosting our third annual summer school for Ukrainian law students. We look forward to the fourth edition in July 2025.
Launching a new fellowship program in 2024 for Ukrainian civil society leaders, providing them with respite and resources to advance their work in challenging circumstances.
Promoting transparency with several roundtables and the release of Shining the Light on Corruption, a practical report on using freedom of information laws to strengthen accountability and fight corruption across key sectors, including healthcare.
Read the full 2024 Annual Report Here!