Towards a more responsive victim-centered approach of the criminal justice system (RE-JUST)

ended

The overall aim of the project is to ensure that victims’ rights, as stipulated in the Directive 2012/29/EU, operate properly in the justice system of EU Member States. Objectives: 1.Assessing promising practices of the criminal justice system. 2.Capacity building for key-stakeholders, in order to promote the inclusion of trauma-responsive approach in the criminal justice system. 3.Facilitate transnational cooperation and dialogue among stakeholders from EU Member States. Activities: The overall structure of the project is divided into 3 work-packages. WP1 Management and Coordination WP2 Promising practices in judicial procedures for a victim human-rights based approach (transnational meetings, research on the national practices of the justice system, compendium of promising practices regarding victims’ treatment by the criminal justice system) WP3 Improved strategies for a better response of the justice system towards victims’ rights protection (transnational meetings, action plan for a victim-oriented human rights approach of the criminal justice system, local roundtables and transnational conference). The project promotes judicial cooperation, exchange of good practices, networking among legal professionals and stakeholders in order to find solutions for a more responsive criminal justice system towards victims’ needs. It has been designed to assist stakeholders to reshape the criminal justice system by creating better programs and action plans to protect victims’ rights in trial proceedings, to expand victims’ role. The project provides police officers, prosecutors, judges, lawyers with tools and sensitivity to deal with victims’ needs according with EU and international standards. Responding effectively to all victims is not only the right thing to do, but is also in the criminal justice system best interest, as it will contribute to increase case clearance rate, improve cooperation, decrease crime rates.