DLA Piper - Support Centres

DLA Piper is a private law firm that provides legal support to staff and freelance journalists, editors, media outlets; civic media/bloggers as well as NGOs that provide legal, financial or advocacy support for journalists/media outlets, and/or journalist associations in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and UK.

The person to be contacted is Özgür Kahale from Pro Bono Counsel (ozgur.kahale@dlapiper.com or +33 1 40 15 25 13). The fee is Pro Bono.

Pro Bono Aliance (Czech Republic) - Support Centres

Pro Bono Aliance is a Prague-based Clearing House that operates in Czech Republic. Pro Bono Aliance matches the needs for free legal aid of civil society and NGOs that provide legal, financial or advocacy support for journalists/media outlets, and/or journalist associations, with attorneys and law firms willing to provide pro bono legal services.

Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI) - Support Centres

Media Defence (also known as MLDI) provides legal defence to independent media, journalists and bloggers around the world who are under threat for their reporting. MLDI does this by administering an emergency defence fund, helping journalists, bloggers and independent media pay legal fees, and provides legal expertise to the lawyer(s) defending a case. 

MLDI also engages in strategic litigation to challenge repressive laws and expand the space for media freedom. Through this, it seeks to advance respect for international law and norms on the right to freedom of expression. MLDI submits cases to domestic courts and international tribunals and intervenes in cases already under way, as well as supporting national lawyers to do the same.

In countries where the threat of legal action is high and constant, MLDI provides financial support and legal expertise to national organisations that provide legal defence services to journalists.

MLDI also runs training and networking programmes for lawyers in the fields of media law and human rights. 

E-mail: info@mediadefence.org

Observatory of Media Freedom (Poland) - Support Centres

'The Observatory of Media Freedom in Poland' is a legal program founded by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) in 2008 and operates in Poland. Its focus is on the protection related to freedom of expression in traditional media as well as on the Internet. 

The program provides legal aid concerning inter alia issues such as criminal defamation, press law offences, protection of journalistic sources of information, the liability of the Internet service providers etc. During court proceedings, the ‘Observatory’ can as well arrange pro bono legal assistance for journalists who cannot afford to pay for regular legal aid.

Ossigeno per l'Informazione - Support Centres

Ossigeno per l'Informazione grants free legal assistance for journalists to help them resist the pressure of intimidation, thanks to the cooperation with the London-based Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI).

The Legal Office of Ossigeno is coordinated by the lawyer Andrea Di Pietro, an expert in information and communication law and legal consultant to Ossigeno per l’Informazione.

E-mail: sportellolegaleossigeno@gmail.com

Journalism is not terrorism - Legal Resources

Despite ruling that the UK's Terrorism Act is incompatible with human rights and more protection is needed for journalists, Britain's Court of Appeal also ruled authorities were justified in detaining a reporter and confiscating his equipment at Heathrow Airport

Defending media freedom in Poland - Legal Resources

The European Commission has adopted a framework to address threats to the rule of law by member states. The framework, which was initiated against Poland due to changes to its Media Law, entails a three-stage process of assessment, recommendations and monitoring

Understanding the EU Rule of Law mechanisms - Reports

This briefing by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) conveys fundamental information about the “Rule of Law Framework”, the EU assessment mechanism applied for the first time in Poland with regard to the management of state TV and radio broadcasters

Media in Turkey in Last Three Months of 2015: You name the title - BìA October-December 2015 media observation report - Reports

The title of Bianet report for the period October-December 2015 provocatively invites the readers to name the title for this issue: indeed, it could be not much different from previous ones appeared in the last 5 years, as the situation is constantly worsening

ECJ: Commission has to enable access to written submissions - Legal Resources

The European Commission refused a German Pirate Party deputy access to Austria-related written submissions. After the party deputy filed a lawsuit, the European Court of Justice decided in his favor, in accordance with a decree overseeing access to EU government documents