The context for this project is the increasingly proactive nature of EU activity in matters of criminal justice, concerning both transborder crime and domestic provisions. As a result of increased transnational cooperation in criminal matters, suspects and accused persons will be more and more the subject of investigative and prosecutorial acts outside their own country and there will be a growing need for transnational legal assistance. In this, mutual trust and recognition are the keywords, the guarantees on which co-operation is based.

The objective of this research study is to examine the nature of the legal protections provided to suspects in a range of EU countries, from both a theoretical and practice-based perspective. Knowledge of criminal defence provision across Europe is patchy and the accounts that exist often differ widely from practice. Through the establishment of a co-ordinated international research group, this study aims to provide a more contextual understanding of the criminal defence role across different European jurisdictions, considering the legal and procedural rules in place and the implications which the pre-trial stage process has for the trial stage. The blending of practising lawyers and academics should foster a balanced and stimulating discussion on European common principles of criminal procedures.

The project is coordinated by the University of Maastricht (The Netherlands) Others contributors come from University of the West of England (UK), University of Warwick (UK), University of Bologna (Italy), University of Warsaw (Poland), Democritus University of Trace (Greece), University of Lund (Sweden) and University of Cologne (Germany).

The project is sponsored by the EU.

Duration of the Project: ongoing project.

Involved Staff Members
 Prof. Dr. Frank VERBRUGGEN
 Stef DE DECKER

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