Anti-SLAPP Training Starts in Hungary

Human Rights lawyer Bea Bodrogi

Hungary's Center for Independent Journalism organised their first Anti-SLAPP training event for lawyers on 2 December 2022. The trainer, Bea Bodrogi, is an independent human rights lawyer who regularly acts for media organisations and NGOs. She is also a member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on SLAPPs.

12 lawyers attended the training, ten of whom were present in person, with another two participating remotely. The workshop was streamed online and this hybrid format was quite successful.

The participants had varied backgrounds - several had already been working closely with the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union offering pro bono services for independent media and NGOs. One participant came from the academic field and another had an independent practice focusing on environmental cases.

This was a group that already had some basic knowledge about SLAPPs and, for most, practical experience of the SLAPP problem in Hungary. The form of the training day took full account of the existing knowledge of those in the room.

As a result, the goal of the day was to deepen knowledge and share ideas and tactics, with lots of opportunity for discussion - something that those attending clearly appreciated and took full advantage of.

The training was structured with a briefing on the European Commisson's Anti-SLAPP proposals at the start of the day, followed by discussion of the Hungarian experience of SLAPPs and the likely impact of the draft Directive and Recommendation. A final session where participants worked collaboratively on case studies, was followed with a networking lunch.

All in all, the day was extremely successful, both in sharing and developing knowledge, and in creating links among the lawyers in Hungary who have been encountering SLAPPs most frequently. The next workshop will likely focus on broadening this network, seeking to engage legal professionals from outside the civil society sector.