Proiecte – APADOR-CH

Absent Rights

18/02/2026/in În derulare /by Rasista

Absent Rights: Making Sure Trials in Absence Are Fair Across Europe

When someone is tried and convicted without being present in court, this is known as a trial in absence. These cases raise serious questions about fairness — especially when the person did not know about the trial or did not clearly give up their right to attend.

Across the European Union, countries rely on each other to recognise and enforce court decisions. This system is based on mutual trust and legal tools such as:

Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA (European Arrest Warrant)
Directive (EU) 2016/343 (Right to be Present at Trial)
Framework Decision 2009/909/JHA
Framework Decision 2008/947/JHA
Regulation (EU) 2018/1805

These instruments allow countries to cooperate quickly — for example, by surrendering a person under a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) so a sentence can be enforced.

But cooperation can break down when there are doubts about whether the original trial was fair.

Why This Project Matters

The right to be present at trial is protected under:

European Convention on Human Rights (Article 6 – right to a fair trial)
Court of Justice of the European Union case-law
Directive (EU) 2016/343 (Articles 8 and 9)

Articles 8 and 9 of the Directive were designed to:

Strengthen protection of the right to be present at trial
Ensure that a person clearly waived that right if absent
Guarantee a genuine opportunity for a new trial if they did not
Reduce refusals and delays in European judicial cooperation

However, legal experts across Europe — particularly within the Legal Experts Advisory Panel (LEAP), coordinated by Fair Trials — have identified ongoing problems in how trials in absence are conducted in practice.

These issues are especially important for EU citizens living abroad. People who move to another Member State may miss court proceedings in their home country. If they are later arrested under a European Arrest Warrant, the fairness of the original trial becomes crucial.

When trials in absence are not handled properly, this can:

Undermine mutual trust between countries
Cause delays or refusals in surrender
Harm individuals and their families
Damage confidence in the EU as an area of justice and rule of law

What Makes This Project Different

Most previous EU-funded projects have focused on what happens at the enforcement stage — when a country is asked to execute a European Arrest Warrant.

Absent Rights goes further.

It looks at what happens:

Before an EAW is issued (how the trial in absence was conducted), and
After surrender (whether a real opportunity for a retrial exists).

The project examines:

Whether defendants were properly informed
The role of court-appointed (ex officio) lawyers
Whether retrial procedures are effective in practice
New developments such as remote participation via videoconference

By studying laws, court decisions, and real-life practice across several Member States, the project aims to understand the root causes of friction and failure in judicial cooperation.

What the Project Will Deliver

Absent Rights will produce:

A comprehensive European research report
Practical recommendations for Member States
Legal briefing notes for defence lawyers and practitioners
Tools to support advocacy and strategic litigation

These outputs will help ensure proper implementation of:

Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights
Articles 8 and 9 of Directive 2016/343

Over time, this should lead to:

Fewer unfair convictions in absence
Fewer refusals of European Arrest Warrants
Faster and smoother judicial cooperation
Stronger rule of law across the EU

Who Will Benefit

The project supports:

EU policy-makers, especially the European Commission, in monitoring implementation
National legislators and justice ministries, who shape criminal procedure laws
Defence lawyers, who protect fair trial rights in court
Judicial authorities handling cross-border cooperation cases

By improving understanding and practical implementation, Absent Rights aims to strengthen trust between justice systems — and ensure that cooperation in criminal matters is both effective and fair.

The Bigger Picture

The European Union is built on freedom of movement and mutual trust between Member States. That trust depends on fair and reliable justice systems.

Absent Rights works to ensure that when someone is convicted without being present, their fundamental rights are respected — and that judicial cooperation across Europe remains strong, credible, and just.

Project Partners

Absent Rights brings together leading organisations from across Europe with deep expertise in criminal justice, human rights, research, and judicial training. Together, they combine practical experience, academic knowledge, and strong advocacy capacity at both national and EU level.

Fair Trials Europe (FTE) is the Project Coordinator. The other partners are: APADOR-CH (Romania), Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (Bulgaria), Centre for European Constitutional Law (CECL – Greece), National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology (INCC/NICC – Belgium) and Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR – Poland).

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Absent Rights. Reinforcing the right to presence at trial as a foundation for mutual trust is funded by the European Commission-EU under the Justice Programme (JUST)2025

Project duration: 24 months

Advancing Juvenile Justice in Europe – EPO4YOUTH

28/11/2025/in În derulare /by Rasista

Sorry, this entry is only available in Română. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.

APADOR-CH este parte a proiectului european Erasmus+ Îmbunătățirea justiției juvenile și a condițiilor de detenție în Europa (Advancing Juvenile Justice and Detention Conditions in Europe (EPO4YOUTH), care a început la 1 octombrie 2025 și va dura 30 de luni. Proiectul abordează un domeniu esențial și adesea insuficient analizat: condițiile de detenție pentru tineri în Europa.

Proiectul urmărește să consolideze rolul și capacitatea rețelei European Prison Observatory (EPO) de a monitoriza și proteja drepturile tinerilor aflați în centre de detenție. APADOR-CH este implicată în acest demers alături de nouă parteneri din întreaga Europă. Experiența APADOR-CH în acest domeniu este relvantă și a fost demonstrată și în cadrul altor proiecte cu tematică similară, cum ar fi Promovarea drepturilor copiilor suspecți sau acuzați penal, derulat în 2017.

Obiectivele principale ale proiectului

Întărirea colaborării între membrii EPO pentru îmbunătățirea monitorizării detenției juvenile și a standardelor aplicate în diverse state europene;
Crearea unui Hub European Open-Source de date, care va reuni cercetări, analize comparative și exemple de bune practici pentru a sprijini politicile publice în domeniu;
Promovarea implicării societății civile în activitățile de monitorizare a locurilor de detenție și încurajarea unor practici incluzive, centrate pe drepturile omului și nevoile tinerilor în mod special.

Partenerii proiectului

Organizații din nouă țări contribuie cu expertiza lor în domeniul drepturilor omului, justiției penale și monitorizării condițiilor de detenție:

Fachhochschule Dortmund (Germania)
Bulgarian Helsinki Committee Association (Bulgaria)
Greek Society for the Study of Crime and Social Control (Grecia)
Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Polonia)
Latvian Centre for Human Rights (Letonia)
Associação Nacional Para o Desenvolvimento da Economia Social (Portugalia)
APADOR-CH – Asociația pentru Apărarea Drepturilor Omului în România – Comitetul Helsinki (România)
Europamente ETS (Italia)
Hungarian Helsinki Committee (Ungaria)

Proiectul EPO4YOUTH își propune să contribuie la transformarea sistemelor de justiție juvenilă din Europa, punând accent pe protecția drepturilor tinerilor și pe îmbunătățirea condițiilor din centrele de detenție.

Aici vor putea fi citite demersurile făcute în cadrul proiectului

Carta UE în sprijinul spațiului civic din România

19/08/2024/in Finalizate /by Rasista

Spațiul civic românesc s-a restrâns semnificativ în ultimii ani. Procesele strategice împotriva participării publice (SLAPP) sunt folosite pentru hărțuirea și intimidarea jurnaliştilor și chiar dizolvarea organizațiilor societății civile. ONG-urile și cetățenii care îndrăznesc să inițieze în justiție cauze de interes public plătesc prețul suprem pentru curajul lor: dizolvarea sau insolvența personală.

Proiectul de față oferă oportunitatea de a explora modul în care Carta Drepturilor Fundamentale a Uniunii Europene poate proteja în mod eficient spațiul civic românesc. Cercetarea realizată în timpul proiectului, privind utilizarea potențială a Cartei și a legislației UE pentru a preveni dizolvarea ONG-urilor, va fi utilizată pentru a sprijini atât schimbările legislative necesare, cât și cauzele de interes public pendinte ale societății civile.

Activitățile de advocacy vor consolida capacitatea organizațiilor societății civile de a se implica în viitoarele activități de advocacy anti-SLAPP, inclusiv în timpul procesului de transpunere a Directivei (UE) 2024/1069.

De asemenea, crearea unui ghid practic privind procedura întrebărilor preliminare la CJUE va consolida capacitatea avocaților de a proteja drepturile omului.

Durata proiectului – 9 luni – iulie 2024-martie 2025

Obiectivele proiectului:

Dezvoltarea capacității organizațiilor societății civile de a utiliza Carta drepturilor fundamentale și dreptul UE pentru a proteja spațiul civic;
Dezvoltarea capacității avocaților de a proteja drepturile omului prin utilizarea procedurii întrebărilor preliminare la CJUE;
Creșterea capacității punctului focal al Cartei (Ministerul Justiției) de a implementa Strategia Cartei 2020-2030

Grupurile țintă:

Organizații neguvernamentale românești;
Punctul focal al Cartei UE (Ministerul Justiției);
Institutul Român pentru Drepturile Omului (IRDO);
42 de Barouri din România;

Beneficiari ai proiectului:

Orice persoană fizică sau juridică română, care se află în litigiu în interes public

Rezultate estimate:

Sporirea capacității societății civile (ONG-uri, jurnaliști, cetățeni) de a proteja spațiul civic prin dezvoltarea și utilizarea instrumentelor Cartei și ale legislației UE;
Dezvoltarea capacității ONG-urilor de a se implica în viitoare activități de advocacy anti-SLAPP, inclusiv în timpul procesului de transpunere a Directivei (UE) 2024/1069;
Sporirea capacității avocaților de a invoca Carta și procedura întrebării preliminare la CJUE, în litigiile naționale pentru drepturile omului;
Sporirea capacității instituțiilor statului de a utiliza Carta și legislația UE la elaborarea legislației și politicilor.

Iată câteva din activitățile derulate în cadrul proiectului:

Împreună cu câteva zeci de organizații, cetățeni și jurnaliști am solicitat Ministerului Justiției ca în proiectul legii privind transpunerea Directivei anti SLAPP să fie extinse și la nivel național garanțiile de protecție a persoanelor și organizațiilor hărțuite prin procese abuzive. Astfel s-ar realiza o protecție reală a acestora, împotriva diferitelor acțiuni de intimidare exercitate prin justiție.

Scrisoarea deschisă către Ministerul Justiției

În urma scrisorii deschise, Ministerul Justiției ne-a invitat, împreună cu semnatarii scrisorii, la o discuție premergătoare întocmirii proiectului de lege. La întâlnirea care a avut loc la 13 noiembrie 2024 a participat și ministra justiției, Alina Gorghiu. În urma discuției a reieșit că oficialii ministerului nu sunt convinși că legea de transpunere a Directivei poate să extindă prevederile Directivei și au promis că vor „întreba” la Bruxelles;
În paralel, împreună cu o parte din semnatarii scrisorii am format un grup de lucru pentru a monitoriza și ajuta, pe cât posibil transpunerea Directivei anti SLAPP în legislația națională;
La 27 noiembrie, APADOR-CH a trimis o scrisoare către Comisia Europeană, cerând un punct de vedere pentru „dilema” autorităților române;
La 20 decembrie 2024, Comisia Europeană ne-a răspuns că nu numai că România poate să transpună Directiva anti SLAPP extinzând garanțiile și la cazurile naționale, dar chiar este încurajată să facă asta, chiar de la Bruxelles.

Răspunsul Comisiei Europene la întrebarea adresată de APADOR-CH

La 16 decembrie 2024 APADOR-CH a transmis o scrisoare deschisă și Consiliului Superior al Magistraturii (CSM), cosemnată de același număr mare de organizații, cetățeni și jurnaliști care s-au alăturat demersului făcut pe lângă MJ. În scrisoarea către CSM am cerut de asemenea o întâlnire pentru a discuta despre transpunerea Directivei anti SLAPP în legislația națională și viziunea CSM în legătură cu extinderea garanțiilor de protecție în procesele naționale, nu doar la cele transfrontaliere, așa cum prevede Directiva.

Scrisoarea deschisă către Consiliul Superior al Magistraturii

La 20 ianuarie 2025, APADOR-CH a transmis Departamentului pentru executarea hotărârilor CEDO din cadrul Comitetului de Miniștri o comunicare privitoare la cazul Ghiulfer Predescu vs. România, menționând efectul de descurajare și cenzură pe care îl au numeroasele procese de tip SLAPP din România ultimilor ani, asupra mișcărilor civice, jurnalismului și deci asupra drepturilor civile.

Rule 9 submission regarding the supervision of the execution of the judgment Ghiulfer Predescu v. Romania case

Proiectul este finanțat prin programul CERV STRIVE 2021-2027 (Cetățeni, Egalitate, Drepturi și Valori) al Comisiei Europene.

Programul pentru cetățeni, egalitate, drepturi și valori (CERV) are ca scop protejarea și promovarea drepturilor și valorilor Uniunii Europene, așa cum sunt consacrate în tratatele UE și în Carta drepturilor fundamentale. Sprijină crearea și îmbunătățirea unor societăți deschise, echitabile, democratice, egale și incluzive și care funcționează în conformitate cu principiile statului de drept. Aceasta include o societate civilă puternică, încurajând participarea democratică, civică și socială a oamenilor și cultivând diversitatea, pe baza valorilor, istoriei și memoriei noastre comune.

Publicațiile din cadrul acestui proiect reprezintă poziția APADOR-CH și nu reflectă poziția Uniunii Europene.

Whistleblowing the police horn for democracy

16/01/2024/in Finalizate /by Rasista

Between January and December 2024, APADOR-CH will contribute to amending the legislation and practice of the police and gendarmerie, for the inclusion and recognition of the role of whistleblowers in the proper functioning of the two institutions.

In 2021, a study on the status of whistle-blowers in Romania showed that the legal framework of the Romanian Police and Gendarmerie as well as their internal regulations forbid the public communication of anything that may “damage the image of the institution”. For years, this has allowed the disciplinary sanctioning and even dismissal of police officers who have publicly criticized certain deficiencies related to the activity and organization of the police/gendarmerie on grounds that their revelations have negatively affected the institution’s prestige.

Despite mass media as well as civil society organizations exposures, this practice continues to happen although both the old whistle-blower legislation as well as the new law provide that employees who make disclosures in the public interest cannot be held accountable for disclosures of violations of the law made in good faith. Leaders of police trade unions claim they are particularly targeted and vulnerable to management abuse, in order to “set an example” and discourage future whistle-blowers.

Following a national tragedy, in august 2023, the newly appointed Minister of Internal Affairs announced a Police reform which would enhance its accountability and integrity. Currently, both the Police and Gendarmerie laws are subject to public debate at the government level and will be sent to the Parliament in the months that follow. This represents a favourable political context for civil society advocacy to amend these laws in order to make them compliant with the EU Directive 2019/1937 on the protection of whistle-blowers, to monitor their practical implementation and to raise awareness- through trainings for police officers and gendarmes- on the procedures and protection measures they provide.

The general objective of this project is to contribute to corruption prevention and increased accountability in two law enforcement agencies in Romania: The Police and the Gendarmerie:

Promote the correct transposition and implementation of the EU 2019/1937 Whistleblower Directive at the level of the Romanian Police and Gendarmerie
Increase the level of knowledge and understanding of the role of whistleblowers at the level of the Romanian Police and Gendarmerie, in cooperation with independent national whistleblowing authorities and public order training institutes

Legal analysis will be carried out on the compliance of Law 360/2002 on the statute of the police officer and Law 80/1995 on the status of military personnel (including Gendarmerie) with the new law on the protection of whistle-blowers. This legal analysis will be used to advocate for the amendment of the two laws during the 2024 Parliamentary legislative process and also during advocacy meetings with the Romanian Police, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Gendarmerie and MPs (at least 6 bilateral meetings, both in Bucharest and Timisoara). â

APADOR-CH will also monitor the practical implementation of whistleblowing rules and procedures in all police stations throughout the country and at the level of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In this regard, an implementation analysis document will also be carried out. The conclusions and recommendations of the analysis as well as the project activities will be discussed during a Bucharest roundtable final event (with the participation of at least 20 offline stakeholders).

Two trainings will be carried out for 60 police officers and gendarmes in Bucharest and Timisoara. The organization and delivery of these trainings will be done in cooperation with the Institute for Public Order Studies (ISOP) as well as the National Integrity Agency (ANI)-the designated national whistleblowing authority which acts both as an external reporting channel as well as resource centre for whistle-blowers). Trade union leaders as well as women police officers will be particularly targeted by these trainings.

This is the journal of the project.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or The Netherlands Helsinki Committee.

Neither the European Union nor the granting authority (the NHC) can be held responsible for them.

#EUfunded #NHC #CatalystofChange #EUValues

Protecting Freedom of Expression by Supporting ECtHR Implementation

29/09/2023/in Finalizate /by Rasista

We are thrilled to announce our cooperation with the European Implementation Network (EIN) in their new project focused on safeguarding freedom of expression in the Council of Europe member States. As a participant to this project, we are dedicated to promoting this fundamental right and the effective implementation of the relevant judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as to advocating for reforms aimed at effectively protecting free speech in Romania.

Violations of the right to free speech have become central to the crisis of democratic backsliding in European States. We witness the healthy functioning of democracies being undermined, and sometimes curtailed, by a combination of factors, depending on the jurisdiction, such as draconian defamation laws silencing journalists through court proceedings, the undermining of free debate through excessive ownership of media outlets by the State or its affiliates, and even widespread violence against reporters.

To address these pressing issues, the ECtHR has already issued about 300 leading judgments that identify violations of the right to free speech. However, it is alarming to note that at the time of writing, 50% of the leading free speech judgments handed down by the ECtHR in the last 10 years are still pending implementation. Currently, there are more than 100 leading ECtHR judgements on free speech awaiting implementation.

Together with EIN and other partners, we are committed to championing freedom of expression and upholding democratic values throughout Europe. By actively engaging with the implementation process of ECtHR judgments, we aim at creating lasting reforms that protect and promote free speech across the continent. Stay tuned for updates as we work towards a more inclusive and democratic society.

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NED – Strengthen the resilience of civil society in East Europe

17/01/2022/in Finalizate /by Rasista

This project aims to strengthen the resilience of civil society organizations in Central Europe. In 2022-24, the Poland-based Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and its partners APADOR-CH and Hungarian Helsinki Committee will utilize renewed NED funds to convene a series of trainings which will aim to strengthen the resilience of civil society in Poland, Romania and Hungary.

The project will allow the program partners to reflect on the experience gained by each organization in its country, and share the lessons learned with the groups in the other countries, before the 2024 elections.

The program will also be an exchange of observations, best practices and experiences on how civil society efforts can play a crucial role in defending and strengthening democratic processes.

Each of the three program partners will convene a series of training sessions tailored to address the needs of their staff, as well as the needs of other human rights organizations with which they network and cooperate in their own countries.

In particular, APADOR-CH will conduct three series of trainings such as: trainings that will explore fundraising opportunities for NGOs in Romania, and will educate the participants about EU law mechanisms, and the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values program, trainings that aim to improve the communications skills of civil society representatives from several partner organizations or training that will focus on helping civil society to prepare for cyber-attacks, while helping them to improve cybersecurity procedures in their own organizations.

SOLID – a program to strengthen whistleblower’s protection

23/03/2021/in Finalizate /by Rasista

“Integrity requires solidarity” – SOLID – a program to strengthen whistleblower’s protection

Duration of the project: 2021-2022

Partners: APADOR-CH and ActiveWatch

The goal: public awareness of the role of integrity warners (whistleblowers) in Romanian society and strengthening this role by creating an effective protection system, in collaboration with state institutions and the private sector.

The objectives:

Promote the correct transposition of the EU Integrity Warners Directive in order to encourage democratic participation and the defense and promotion of freedom of expression in the form of the integrity warning.
Identifying the needs of whistleblowers and developing a resource center to provide them with legal and psychological support
Increasing the level of knowledge and understanding of the role of the whistleblowers, at the level of the Romanian society.

At the global level, the contribution of whistleblowers to putting on the public agenda information of public interest, which reveals human rights violations, violations of the law, corruption acts, has increasingly raised the need for public action in order to ensure their protection against the sanctions, harassment or marginalization to which they may be subjected. A direct consequence of this need for public action is the adoption by the European Council and the European Parliament in 2019 of the European Directive (hereinafter the Directive) on the protection of persons reporting breaches of EU law. Romania, similar to other Member States, has two years to transpose the provisions of the Directive into national law, the deadline being December 17, 2021.

The transposition time-frame into national law is an opportunity for civil society organizations and other interested stakeholders to contribute to the adoption of national legislation in accordance with EU law and at the same time putting an important subject on the public agenda. The project aims to contribute to the efficient transposition of the Directive, a process which also involves the creation of legislative and social frameworks in which Romanian whistleblowers feel safe and benefit from protection and support and in which the warning activity that they carry out does not affect their personal/professional lives negatively. Through a system of protection, support and encouragement of the whistle blowers, the project aims to increase the level of integrity in the public administration and the degree of responsibility and accountability of public and political servants, to encourage the warning of irregularities within state institutions and private law organizations that harm the public interest and also to contribute to increasing the efficiency and the transparency in the public sector.

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Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe

The project is implemented by APADOR-CH and ActiveWatch and benefits from a 95.754 euros grant from Active Citizens Fund Romania, programme funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants Grants 2014 -2021. The content of this website does not necessarily reflect the official position of the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021; for more information visit www.eeagrants.org. More details about Active Citizens Fund Romania are available at www.activecitizensfund.ro

Egalitatea în sistemele de justiție penală în UE

23/03/2021/in Finalizate /by Rasista

Durata proiectului: 2021-2022

Parteneri: Comitetul Helsinki Bulgar, APADOR-CH, Center for European Constitutional Law Grecia, Fair Trials Europa Belgia, Liga Drepturilor Omului Belgia

Scopul proiectului: este de a demonstra necesitatea și fezabilitatea colectării de date privind egalitatea de tratament în justiția penală.

Există dovezi empirice ale impactului diferit al sistemelor de justiție penală asupra persoanelor aparținând grupurilor vulnerabile (bazate pe etnie, religie, orientări sexuale sau sărăcie) în statele membre ale UE. Aceste persoane sunt adesea supuse discriminării sau li se refuză un proces echitabil, cu încălcarea legislației UE. Totuși, datele sunt neuniforme și există o oarecare rezistență instituțională la colectarea sistematică a datelor. Acest lucru împiedică înțelegerea corectă a fenomenului mai sus amintit și prin urmare găsirea soluțiilor corecte de rezolvare.

Proiectul de față urmărește extinderea cercetărilor realizate disparat în ultimele decenii, rezultatele obținute urmând să ajute la abordarea situațiilor unor grupuri vulnerabile și să contribuie la introducerea garanțiilor necesare pentru o justiție corectă la nivel național și european. În final se va stabili dacă metodologia aplicată în proiect este replicabilă în alte state membre, ca un mecanism durabil și pe termen lung pentru evaluarea impactului justiției penale în Europa.

Obiectivele proiectului sunt:
– Dezvoltarea unei metodologii replicabile pentru colectarea de date despre impactul disparat al sistemului de justiție penală asupra etniei și
grupurilor de migranți în UE;
– Obținerea de date care indică existența unui astfel de impact și sferele în care este cel mai evident;
– Studiu comparativ între diferitele state membre participante;

Proiectul EQUALITYDATA va explora diferențele rasiale și etnice, și practicile discriminatorii în sistemele de justiție penală din Bulgaria, România, Grecia și Belgia, pe baza cercetărilor și statisticilor oficiale și chestionarelor naționale aplicate în rândul deținuților. Proiectul se întinde pe 18 luni și își propune să chestioneze peste 3.000 de deținuți din 55 de închisori din cele patru țări participante, astfel:

– Bulgaria – 15 închisori și cămine; 1000 de deținuți intervievați;
– România – 25 închisori; 1000 de deținuți intervievați;
– Grecia – 5-7 închisori, 500 de deținuți intervievați;
– Belgia – 8 închisori, până la 600 de deținuți intervievați.

Rezultatele cercetărilor vor fi discutate în cadrul unor mese rotunde naționale și europene, cu reprezentanți ai grupurilor implicate, autorități și specialiști în justiție penală. Va fi realizat și un sondaj la nivelul UE, pentru identificarea barierelor juridice și practice în calea colectării de date privind impactul disparat (în special la replicarea metodologiei anchetei) în sistemele de justiție penală dintr-o gamă mai largă de state membre ale UE.

Proiect cofinanțat prin Programul Drepturi, Egalitate și Cetățenie al Uniunii Europene

Citește raportul cu rezultatele proiectului – ro Read full report – eng

From law to practice: Strengthening procedural rights in police custody

10/03/2021/in Finalizate /by Rasista

Duration of the project: 2021-2023

Coordinator: Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft Austria

Partners: APADOR-CH, Rights International Spain, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Fair Trials Europe

Activities:

Data collection, regional survey and interviews;
Development of factsheets and a supporting video on good practices;
Regional exchange at 4 regional consultations;
National exchange at 4 national roundtables;
Development and implementation of national strategic advocacy activities;
Publication on lessons learned how to effect change and report launch at meeting with EU CSOs.

Direct beneficiaries:

– Criminal justice practitioners (120), such as police officers and lawyers, in 4 Member States;

– Decision-makers (90), e.g. high-level representatives of Ministries, and policy makers, in 4 Member States;

– Civil Society Organisations (40), on the national and EU levels.

Indirect beneficiaries:

– Persons suspected and accused of crime

Objectives:

Elaborating good practices and explaining practical solutions to key implementation challenges;
Engaging key criminal justice stakeholders in practical reform efforts;
Strengthening the capacities of CSOs to promote change

Background: Procedural rights in criminal proceedings continue to be a key priority for the European Union (EU), which since 2009 has adopted a series of secondary law instruments covering numerous procedural rights (the ‘Directives’). The Directives, setting up common minimum standards, were adopted to address the fundamental rights concerns arising from the increasing use of mutual recognition and cross-border cooperation instruments.

Although the status of transposition of the Directives is varied, most have been transposed into national law. However, research has demonstrated that even if legislative and other measures are adopted to give effect to the Directives, this does not automatically mean that they are adequately implemented in practice.

Challenges often arise in the practical application at the stage of arrest and police custody. The project ‘Inside Police Custody 2’ examined the status of implementation of the Directives in this context in 9 Member States (among them were this project´s partner organisations from Austria, Romania and Spain; ICCL led the project).

Although the challenges in effective implementation of the rights protect by the Directives are well-known and reform needs have been identified, there remains an urgent need to focus on implementation. This project will build on this knowledge and fill the gap in terms of practical implementation of good practice by responding to the following needs: more detailed information and exchange on good practices; effective strategies to implement recommendations and good practices; strengthened capacities of Civil Society Organisations (CSO).

Co-funded by the European Union’s Justice (JUST) and Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (REC)

Fighting unconscious bias and discrimination of Roma people in the criminal justice system

02/08/2019/in Finalizate /by Rasista

APADOR-CH is currently working on a two years project (2018-2020) with partners from 3 EU Member States (the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, and Rights International Spain), under direct coordination of Fair Trials, to improve the awareness and understanding of the ways in which key decisions made by criminal justice professionals might result in discriminatory outcomes for Roma suspects and defendants.

The project focuses on how negative stereotypes and societal attitudes might affect how lawyers, judges, prosecutors, and the police make decisions regarding Roma suspects and defendants. This EU-funded project will also identify anti-discrimination champions within criminal justice systems across the EU, and will develop strategies for improving the fairness of decision-making by criminal justice professionals.

Context

There is considerable evidence that Roma people are more likely to be drawn into the criminal justice systems of EU Member States than other ethnic groups. Arrest, detention and conviction undermine and prevent integration of ethnic minorities into mainstream society, and research continues to show that Roma remain one of the most marginalized groups in the European Union. The overrepresentation of Roma people in the EU’s criminal justice system not only contributes to harmful stereotypes, but also destroys the life-chances of Roma people. Criminal justice professionals (lawyers, police, prosecutors and judges) are not immune from the widespread harmful stereotypes and entrenched social attitudes towards Roma people. Growing evidence from outside Europe (particularly from the United States) suggest that unconscious bias in criminal justice actors does have an impact on criminal justice outcomes.

Aims

The project aims toꓽ

a) increase recognition of how negative stereotypes and social attitudes contribute to over-representation of Roma in criminal justice systems;

b) engage criminal justice professionals in identifying key risks of discrimination against Roma, and strategies to improve the fairness of decision-making;

c) identify and exchange global best practice and build a network of anti-discrimination champions across Member States.

Activities

This project includes activities such as: interviews with criminal justice professionals, as well as with Roma people who have expertise and/or experience of how Roma people experience the criminal justice system as suspects and defendants. Each Partner Member State will produce publications that will offer accessible and practical guidance for professionals in relation to each area where there is the greatest risk of discrimination to help them reach decisions which are, and are perceived to be, fair. They will draw on best national and international practices. Alongside the guidance, a short report will be produced with recommendations for longer-term actions to address discrimination in the criminal justice system such as further research where needed, long term training provision and legal and policy reform. Roundtable meetings will be organized in order to engage key stakeholders directly and in detail with the recommendations set out in the draft publications.

Read full report UNCONSCIOUS BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION OF ROMA PEOPLE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM