Fair Trials

The Legal Experts Advisory Panel (LEAP) is a growing network of fair trials defenders established in 2008. Over the years, LEAP has grown into a formal community of over 200 members. Our members include professionals from law firms, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and individuals with lived experience in the criminal justice system, from all 27 EU Members States, UK, and Switzerland.  We are always looking to expand our network, if you’re a criminal defense lawyer, an advocate of fair trials’ rights, or a person impacted by the criminal justice system, we want to hear from you.  To join the LEAP network, please send us your CV at LEAP@fairtrials.net with the subject line: "I'd like to become a LEAP member". We will review your application, and if your professional background and experience align with our requirements, we will get in touch with you.

Can the right to counsel be considered an optional Right within the European legal framework, to the extent that a European Arrest Warrant may be executed based on a national conviction issued in the absence of any legal counsel for the accused? In Italy, the right to defense is inviolable, as explicitly guaranteed by constitutional provisions, and one can only hope that harmonization efforts across Europe aim to enhance the rights of all European citizens. This matter will be discussed today before the Supreme Court of Cassation, with the support of amici curiae European Criminal Bar Association and Fair Trials.

Tomorrow, our Senior Legal Officer, Chryssa Mela, will present the findings of Fair Trials' project "Flight Risk & Pre-Trial Detention." She’ll be joined by Marcin Wolny from the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, one of our regional partners in the report, who will discuss national practices in Poland. If you’d like to join the event, please find the details below. 👇🏽 To download our report, click here: https://lnkd.in/gC4UCmga

Fair Trials echoes the European Criminal Bar Association (ECBA) in its appeal to the incoming INTERPOL Secretary General. We support the ECBA's call for the new Secretary General to: 👉🏼 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐞: Put firm checks in place to prevent and address unjust Notices. Fair Trials is particularly concerned about recent abusive alerts against journalists. 👉🏼 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐲𝐥𝐮𝐦 & 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 👉🏼 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐂𝐅 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐬

Join Fair Trials' Senior Legal Officer Chryssa Mela today at 14:00 CET for the "Borderless Repression: Transnational Threats to Journalists in the European Landscape" webinar, organized by Media Defence and Free Press Unlimited. Chryssa will discuss Fair Trials' work advocating for INTERPOL to take stronger action to prevent its systems from being abused by countries worldwide to persecute journalists, refugees, and peaceful political activists. Sign up to join the event here: bit.ly/3YzIBCV

Our Senior Legal Officer, Chryssa Mela, will be speaking tomorrow at 14:00 CET about our work on INTERPOL and Red Notices at "Borderless Repression: Transnational Threats to Journalists in the European Landscape," organized by Media Defence and Free Press Unlimited. Fair Trials has long campaigned for INTERPOL to take stronger action to prevent its systems from being abused by countries worldwide to persecute journalists, refugees, and peaceful political activists. Register here to attend: https://lnkd.in/e4dDscEC

We are pleased to announce that our Senior Legal Officer, Chryssa Mela, will be speaking about our INTERPOL and Red Notices campaign at the "Transnational Threats to Journalists in the European Landscape" webinar on October 31st, organized by Media Defence and Free Press Unlimited. Fair Trials has long campaigned for INTERPOL to take stronger action to prevent its systems from being abused by countries worldwide to persecute journalists, refugees, and peaceful political activists. These systems, particularly its international "wanted persons" alerts, known as Red Notices, and its less formal alerts, called diffusions, are frequently misused by authoritarian countries to target these groups. While our campaign was successful, there is still much work to be done. Please register here to attend the webinar: bit.ly/3YzIBCV

#LEAPMembers: Our LEAP member, Nicola Canestrini, has recently published an insightful article about Interpol's Red Notices and how they are applied in #Italy, highlighting concerns about #humanrights and the misuse of this system.   In the article, Nicola explains that while Interpol's Red Notices are not international arrest warrants, they are often treated as such in Italy, leading to automatic arrests that risk violating human rights.   Read his article below 👇🏽   If you'd like to become a member of Fair Trials' Legal Advisory Panel, visit our website for more information and details on how to apply. We'd love to welcome you to ur growing network: https://lnkd.in/ec34ZFBx

🚨 Join Our Upcoming Mould European Investigation Order Review Webinar! 🚨   We are pleased to invite you to the MEIOR Webinar (Mould European Investigation Order Review), organised in collaboration with the KU Leuven Department of Criminal Law and Criminology. This event will explore key developments in the European Investigation Order (EIO) and judicial scrutiny in cross-border investigations.   📅 Date: Wednesday, 25th of September 2024 ⏰ Time: 17:00 - 19:00 CET Register here by the 23rd of September 👉 https://lnkd.in/eJZdVwdP   🔎 About the MEIOR Project The MEIOR project is an international research initiative aimed at fostering mutual trust among EU Member States by enhancing cross-border cooperation. We focus on developing better judicial scrutiny structures for cross-border investigations. This webinar will provide key insights into the EIO, exploring recent developments and potential improvements to facilitate smoother and more uniform judicial processes.   Participation is free! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights into cross-border judicial cooperation!   🔗 Programme attached:

🔍 Seeking Council Members with Lived Criminal Justice Experience: deadline extended!   Have you lived through the criminal justice process? Use your experience to influence policies.   Join Fair Trials and help us advocate for fair trials and equal rights for all.   Role Highlights: Consultancy Fee: €52/hour Time Commitment: 12 hours/month (Sep 2024 - Mar 2025) Location: Remote Deadline Extended: September 11, 2024   Apply here: https://lnkd.in/decrBgxa