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EU must guarantee highest standards of criminal justice
January 19, 2010 5:37 PM
Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and London MEP Sarah Ludford has said in a European Parliament debate on rights in criminal proceedings:
"Ensuring rights in criminal proceedings is not just a matter of procedure: they make the difference between a fair trial and a miscarriage of justice. Action on defence rights is a decade overdue, ever since the European Arrest Warrant was instituted."
"A case in point is the treatment of my constituent Andrew Symeou, who has been in prison in Greece for six months awaiting trial on a manslaughter charge which seems to be based on mistaken identity and police brutality to witnesses."
"EU governments refused to accept a comprehensive measure on defence rights, and a piecemeal approach is the best we can now get. Worryingly they are only promising to consider, not to legislate, on Euro-bail which would have helped Andrew who was explicitly refused bail as a foreigner. "
ENDS
Notes to editor
Sarah Ludford is the European Parliament's 'rapporteur' or draftswoman for the first measure jn a 'roadmap', a Directive on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings.
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