The seminar targets active criminal judges and/or judges who participate in judicial training activities within their own jurisdiction (such as a national judicial training institute), with a view to a broader dissemination of knowledge and tools in the long term.

The premise of the seminar is that judges play a central role in combating trafficking in persons. Beyond deciding upon the guilt or innocence of alleged perpetrators and sentencing considerations, judges also make key decisions on the interpretation of trafficking laws and the evidence required to establish the crime. Their decisions also affect victim identification criteria, impact upon assessments of victim credibility and may involve protection steps on behalf of victims. All these decisions are critical to the overall success of anti-trafficking efforts. Depending on the jurisdiction, judges may also provide guidance to law enforcement agencies and/or actively participate in the investigation phase. Furthermore, judges may be called upon to cooperate and exchange information with judicial officials from various countries, especially in light of the transnational nature of the crime.

This 4-day seminar will provide participants with the opportunity to exchange their experiences and ideas from the different perspectives of countries of origin, destination and transit, and to share Israeli and international experts' best practices, programs and methodologies. Furthermore, it is hoped that the workshop will contribute towards establishing a network of judges and/or judicial training officials to nurture cross-border collaboration and exchange of information in the common fight against human trafficking.