Legal Experts Advisory Panel
Fair Trials International is keen to ensure that our advocacy work reflects an aspirational vision of fundamental rights across the EU, properly grounded in a solid appreciation of the practical issues and wider policy environment in which we work.
The Legal Experts Advisory Panel (LEAP) provides an opportunity for experts in criminal justice, fundamental rights and access to justice in the EU to meet and discuss issues of mutual interest and concern, to give advice, information and recommendations to FTI across the range of the charity’s activities. In particular, LEAP members help to inform FTI’s policy positions on a range of criminal justice, fundamental rights and access to justice issues in the EU.
Presently, LEAP contains active members in thirteen EU jurisdictions. View a list of these members (PDF).
LEAP Meeting May 2009
LEAP met in London on 15 May 2009 to discuss the implementation of the European Arrest Warrant. The communiqué, produced as a result of this meeting, sets out the key conclusions reached by the panel.
The May 2009 communiqué can be accessed here.
LEAP Meeting September 2009
The second LEAP meeting for 2009 was held on 11 September in the Netherlands. This meeting focused on discrimination against non-national defendants. The main topics discussed were injustices arising from a lack of access to interpretation and translation and disadvantages faced by non-nationals in applications for bail.
The September 2009 communiqué can be accessed here.
LEAP Meeting February 2010
FTI held its third LEAP meeting on 5th February, at the Canary Wharf offices of Clifford Chance. Members attended from 12 different European jurisdictions: there were a total of 25 non-FTI participants. We were also pleased to sign up a further 10 LEAP members at this meeting. We hope to expand the membership further so that as many Member States as possible are represented. The meeting discussed:
- developments on the European Arrest Warrant and suggestions for reform, particularly concerning proportionality given the triviality of offences for which some EAWs are being issued, and
- the current EU proposal to introduce a legal requirement on all Member States to provide suspects with basic information about their rights and the charges against them.
We were delighted that Caroline Morgan of the European Commission was able to attend for the day and speak about progress on the procedural rights agenda. As usual, excellent contributions were made from a range of perspectives, including fundamental rights, academic theory, research, and criminal defence practice in various jurisdictions.
The February 2010 communiqué can be accessed here.
For more information about LEAP or its membership, please email Catherine Heard