Factsheets on defendants’ rights

The European Commission has made available to the public, on the European e-Justice portal, national factsheets on the rights of defendants in all 27 Member States of the EU.

The European Commission’s e-Justice portal aims at facilitating access to justice by citizens and businesses across Europe. It is also aimed at reinforcing judicial co-operation, on the basis of existing legal instruments, and at bringing e-Justice closer to the legal profession and all interested parties.

The factsheets were prepared by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) working together with experienced criminal defence lawyers, the CCBE's member Bars, Ministries of Justice and qualified legal translators.

They list in a simple but comprehensive way the rights available to defendants in criminal proceedings in all the EU Member States. They are available in all of the EU’s official languages.

The factsheets cover the following areas: obtaining legal advice; rights during the investigation of a crime (arrest, questioning and police investigation, searches, first court hearing, preparation for trial); rights during the trial; rights after the trial; and road traffic offences.

The CCBE believes that the factsheets provide a very useful source of information for suspects and defendants in cross-border situations. For example, a Portuguese national who is charged with a crime in Germany can now access information in Portuguese on his rights throughout the German court process.