Productions
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4 June 2012
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Euronews Right On
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New EU rights for the accused |
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A European directive, officially entitled "on the right of information in criminal proceedings", was adopted last in April by the Council, after the European Parliament approved it last December. It will enter into force upon publication, but will give Member States a two-year period to pass legislation to transpose it into national law. First, it gives any suspect or accused person to receive adequate information on (some of) their procedural rights, including the right to a lawyer, the right to legal aid when applicable, the right to remain silent. When the suspect or accused person is deprived of liberty, this information must be provided in writing. When he is not deprived of liberty (and for instance he is questioned by the police while at large), this information may be provided orally or in writing, Member States will be free to choose. Euronews Right On visits England and the Netherlands to see how the actual system works, where it went wrong and how the new rules will be implemented. In England somebody explains how he did not get any rights after being arrested in Portugal, and in the Netherlands a criminal lawyer, a judge and the head of a cell block in a police station give their views. The lawyer is extremely happy with the improvement and it turns out that the Dutch police have most of the new rules already in place. Video link!
Activities: research, set-up, planning, accompany filming, translation.