Legal Experts Advisory Panel

The Panel meets regularly to discuss topical human rights issues of mutual interest. These meetings help to shape and inform FTI’s work, ensuring a truly pan-European reach and perspective. (See the Panel's terms of reference)

LEAP now has over 70 active members in 18 EU jurisdictions and we are looking to expand it further. We would welcome applications to join from lawyers qualified to practise in one or more EU countries, whose practice regularly involves cross-border criminal defence work, human rights law or strategic litigation in the criminal context. If you are interested in joining LEAP please contact us.
 

Annual LEAP conference held at Clifford Chance

On 22nd September, 52 members of our Legal Experts Advisory Panel (LEAP) from 17 EU jurisdictions met to discuss:

• pre-trial detention in today’s EU; and

• the new draft EU law to guarantee suspects’ rights to legal advice.

The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to discuss FTI’s draft report on pre-trial detention, containing data on the detention regimes of 15 different EU countries, which Clifford Chance’s lawyers in those countries collaborated on with FTI’s policy team, pro bono. Members welcomed the Commission’s continued work to protect basic fair trial rights, including access to legal advice and an end to excessive pre-trial detention.

Our thanks to Clifford Chance for providing stunning meeting facilities at its Canary Wharf offices and to our LEAP members for attending. The Discussion Paper contains more information about the meeting. Communiqués summarising discussions on the two featured topics are featured below.

The LEAP meeting also marked the launch of a new two year project to map best and worst practice in EU fair trial rights over the next two years. FTI will carry out the project with the Dutch research organisation EuroMoS. The project will involve a survey of 5 lawyers in every EU country, on the impact of EU justice instruments like the European Arrest Warrant and how the barriers to a fair trial can be surmounted.

If you are an experienced cross-border criminal lawyer and would like to take part in this project, click here. 

LAST MEETING (ANNUAL CONFERENCE) - SEPTEMBER 2011 (LONDON)

LEAP met at the offices of Clifford Chance in London to discuss pre-trial detention in today’s EU and the new draft EU law to guarantee suspects’ right to legal advice.

PREVIOUS MEETING – 28 March 2011 (Cambridge)

LEAP met in Cambridge on 28th March to discuss reforms to the European Arrest Warrant.  A communique is available below.
 

PREVIOUS Meeting - February 2011 (London)

LEAP met at the offices of Clifford Chance in London on 4 February to discuss prison issues in Europe, including pre-trial detention, bail for non-national defendants and prisoner transfer. A communique, outlining the conclusions of the panel, is available below.