Effective Legal Assistance in Pre-Trial Detention Decision-Making

ended

Objective: To improve pre-trial detention decision-making by ensuring that suspects and accused persons are able to receive the practical and effective assistance of a lawyer pursuant to Article 3(1) of the Access to a Lawyer Directive. Activities: Working in five Member States with regional co-ordination to: 1. Carry out in-depth assessment of legal and practical barriers to implementation of the relevant Directives; 2. Create and direct national and EU-wide dialogues relating to pre-trial legal assistance; and 3. Capacity build lawyers engaged in pre-trial detention matters. Type and number pf persons benefiting from the project: 1. Policy-makers in each Partner Member States - 25 attending round-table meetings and 10 regional meetings; 2. Regional policy-makers broadly; 3. Lawyers in each Partner Member State: (a) At least five engaged in national working groups; (b) 20 participating in workshops; (c) 100 receiving handbooks; (d) 20 contributing to regional meeting; 4. 300 regional lawyers receiving regional handbook; 5. Other criminal justice actors: (a) At least three engaged in national working group; (b) 30 participating in round-table meetings; (c) 30 contributing to regional meeting. Expected results: 1. Significantly increased knowledge of the Directive and barriers to effective assistance; 2. Engagement of key stakeholders in collaborative work to ensure implementation the Directive and other related Directives; 3. Increased awareness of key stakeholders of lawyers' role in pre-trial decision-making; 4. Improved pre-trial detention decision-making. Type and number of outputs to be produced: 1. EU regional survey and report; 2. Country-specific summary report and action plan for each Partner Member State; 3. Round-table meeting and working groups with key stakeholders; 4. Short case study films for each Partner Member State, and one for regional use; 5. Regional and country-specific handbooks; 6. Training workshops in each Partner Member State.