What FTI can and cannot do
Each case is different and, where we do take on a case, we will decide what kind of help we can offer. FTI does not charge clients for the unique service that we provide. The assistance we can provide is, however, limited.
FTI CAN:
- Provide basic, practical guidance about a criminal trial outside your own country, for example, how to appoint a local lawyer
- Help you identify a criminal defence lawyer (although we cannot guarantee the quality of the services they will provide)
- Provide you and your local lawyer with advice on international human rights standards on fair trials
- Share our concerns about the case with Consular Services
- Help to generate political interest in a case
- Help to generate media interest in a case
- Monitor procedures and developments in your case and keep your family informed
- Assist with post-trial legal processes (such as prisoner transfer and pardon applications)
- Identify patterns of poor practice and seek to address these by wider campaigning and lobbying
FTI CANNOT:
- Provide financial assistance with your case
- Act as your lawyer (whether in the UK or overseas)
- Provide legal advice on domestic law
- Commit to liaise with lawyers (as this is often not possible)
- Guarantee the quality of the service you will receive from lawyers we help you to identify
- Negotiate lawyers’ fees
- Track hearing or appeal dates
- Assist with the non-criminal law aspect of cases (i.e. civil claims for false imprisonment)
- Provide translation services
- Hold or receive original legal documents or evidence
- Tackle welfare problems on prisoners' behalf.*
*For this you should contact your local Consul. You may also contact specialist prisoner-welfare agencies such as Prisoners Abroad (UK), or Españoles en el Mundo (Spain). Your Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also provide information.