The future of UK criminal justice – securing human rights post-Brexit

Grant: £45,353
November 13, 2017

This project will enable UK legal experts, with a long track-record of EU criminal justice experience, to remain engaged in the Legal Experts Advisory Panel (LEAP) in order to:

1. Inform the shape of criminal justice in post-Brexit UK and the nature of the UK’s criminal justice co-operation with Member States; and
2. Sustain relationships between UK experts and counterparts in Europe vital to protecting the rights of defendants in cross-border cases.

With a decade’s experience informing policy and defending fundamental rights in the UK and Europe, British LEAP members have an important role to play during Brexit negotiations and beyond, particularly as it is likely that on-going security co-operation across borders will make continued engagement with European counterparts essential.

Addressing the IT needs of Fair Trials – implementation phase

Grant: £39,689
November 13, 2017

The commissioning of an expert IT consultant to conduct a thorough review of IT systems and hardware culminated in a detailed report and the creation of an Invitation to Tender which was sent out to six suppliers in early September 2017. Interviews were conducted with four suppliers and the best selected. Implementation across the organisation is the next stage.

This project is to implement the findings and recommendations of the consultant to complete this upgrade.

Addressing the IT needs of Fair Trials

Grant: £7,850
August 4, 2017

Fair Trials’ IT system is currently not fit for purpose. As an increasingly international organisation, with offices based in London, Brussels and Washington DC, the reliance of the team on a single server hampers productivity and presents risks of organisational failure. The project will cover the costs of an IT consultation covering:

• A review of current IT situation;
• Assessment of IT needs based on business needs (London, Brussels, Washington DC);
• Proposed solution and outline IT strategy; and
• Selection of supplier to implement IT strategy.

This consultation will enable the selection of the most appropriate IT system and the most cost-effective provider to implement the system, resulting in much-needed changes to Fair Trials’ IT systems, reflecting their growth and more complex needs.

Helping People to find Public Legal Education Online

Grant: £8,500
November 26, 2014

The vision of the Charity is a world where every person’s right to a fair trial is respected, whatever their nationality, wherever they are accused. Its mission is to promote fair trials according to internationally recognised standards of justice and defend the rights of those facing charges in a country other than their own.

The funds will allow Fair Trials to expand the reach of the public legal education materials it has developed for individual suspects and defendants arrested in countries across the globe (and their friends and relatives). The process will be shared as a case study for other organisations providing online public legal education to identify and share examples of good practice in terms of effective dissemination.

Defence Rights E-Training Stage 2

Grant: £20,000
November 26, 2014

• Pre-trial detention: The excessive use of pre-trial detention, including the United Kingdom, is becoming a growing area of concern. This e-training will highlight the important role lawyers can play in the decision-making process on pre-trial detention. It will provide an overview of international standards and show how this can be used in practice in day-to-day cases.
• Access to a lawyer: The etraining will provide an overview of the Access to a Lawyer Directive and practical guidance for lawyers on how to make effective use of this new legislation in their day-to-day practice.
• Human rights and cross-border cases: This course will focus on the European Arrest Warrant, providing practical guidance for lawyers on how to develop and evidence human rights arguments in cross-border cases.