For this year’s Spring Conference, we had the spectacular setting of the Sorrento peninsula, known for its lemon groves and picturesque coastline, which seemed to welcome us with its rays of sunshine after an intense storm on Friday, April 25th.
The event began with a magnificent Italian aperitivo on the rooftop of Continental hotel, where Vânia Costa Ramos, our Chair, officially welcomed all delegates, together with Amedeo Barletta, ECBA Vice Chair and Pasquale Damiano, president of the Torre Annunziata Bar Association, as we all raised our glasses with an Aperol or Limoncello Spritz.
As usual, the Board met on Friday morning, where we discussed the progress of our association and explored possible ways to make our organisation and its mission even more visible in all European forums where criminal law is debated. We hope to unveil at the Autumn Conference a project that would become a key reference for many criminal lawyers both within and beyond the Schengen area.
The speakers, carefully selected for their expertise and experience in the topics under discussion, took the floor at the Palazzo Municipale of Sorrento. As a brilliant opening, we enjoyed outstanding presentations from highly esteemed magistrates, such as Francesco Viganò, Vice President of the Italian Constitutional Court, and Raffaelle Sabato, Judge at the European Court of Human Rights. The keynote speeches were moderated by our Vice Chair, Amedeo Barletta, a distinguished Italian representative of our association in many forums.
The conference continued to focus on the real challenges faced by trial lawyers, such as the issue of professional privilege. In a modern open-discussion format, several speakers representing various European and British jurisdictions shared their experiences and approaches regarding how different countries interpret this essential element of the right to defense. In the end, together with contributions from the audience, the panel turned into a highly stimulating think tank for all attendees, brilliantly moderated by Carla Reyes, ECBA Advisory Board member.
There was also space to discuss how asset confiscations should be carried out when no final conviction has yet been issued—an especially relevant topic for those involved in ongoing criminal proceedings. We had the privilege of hearing from high-profile speakers, such as Susana Fonte from Eurojust, who explained how that institution interprets the legal framework. Other outstanding contributions came from Prof. Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque from Portugal and Italian post-doctoral investigator Catarina Scialla. while renowned litigator Christophe Marchand shared by personal experiences, all moderated by David Apelbaum, from the ECBA Advisory Board.
Before the last panel we dedicated a moment to commemorate Mischa Wladimiroff, one of the founders of the ECBA back in the 90s and a towering figure in international criminal law, who passed away in April 2025.
No criminal law conference would be complete without addressing the new trends in the public disclosure of criminal proceedings to the media, a matter that has become increasingly important due to its potential to seriously damage the reputation of defendants who have not yet been convicted. We heard first-hand experiences, such as those shared by Italian investigative journalist Stefania Maurizi, along with the opinions of experienced human rights litigation lawyers Nicola Canestrini and Roberto Chenal from the European Court of Human Rights, brought together by panel chair Ed Grande, Advisory Board member.
The day concluded in yet another privileged location, Hotel Tramontano, where we enjoyed a delightful Mediterranean dinner, seasoned with the collegial ties that were continued around every table after being formed throughout the day.
