Michael Staines speaks in Brussels - 17th February 2016 - The Right of Access to a Lawyer in Criminal Proceedings

Seminar and Report Launch - The Right of Access to a Lawyer in Criminal Proceedings:
Best Practice and Implementation

Wednesday 17 February 2016

Michael Staines was among a distinguished panel of speaks at the above event in Brussels. The speakers also included Deirdre Duffy, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Ingrid Breit, DG Justice; Marion Isobel, Open Society Justice Initiative; and Joanna Smetek, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Poland.

The EU has made significant progress over the past years to strengthen defence rights across member states. In 2013 the third in a series of directives was adopted: a directive on the Right of Access to a Lawyer in Criminal Proceedings. Member States have until November 2016 to transpose and implement the Directive. With less than a year until this deadline this seminar looked at the experience of experts and practitioners in transposing the directive and the current challenges in ensuring access to a lawyer across the EU. At the event the Irish Council for Civil Liberties’ Implementation of the Right of Access to a Lawyer: Training Manual/Training Manual Template and the JUSTICIA educational animation Know Your Right to a Fair Trial were both launched.

Speakers:
• Ingrid Breit, DG Justice
• Marion Isobel, Open Society Justice Initiative
• Michael Staines, Michael J. Staines and Co. Solicitors, Ireland
• Joanna Smetek, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Poland