Obstacles To Fairness In Criminal Proceedings

This volume considers the way in which the focus on individual rights may constitute an obstacle to ensuring fairness in criminal proceedings. The increasingly cosmopolitan nature of criminal justice, forcing legal systems with different institutional forms and practices to interact with each other as they attempt to combat crime beyond national borders, has accentuated the need for systems to seek legitimacy beyond their domestic traditions. Fairness, expressed in terms of the right to a fair trial in provisions such as Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, has emerged across Europe as the principal means of guaranteeing the legitimacy of criminal proceedings. The consequence of this is that criminal procedure doctrines are framed overwhelmingly in 'constitutional' terms – the protection of defence rights is necessary to restrict and legitimate the state's mandate to prosecute crime. Yet there are various problems with relying solely or predominantly on defence rights as a means of ensuring that proceedings are 'fair' or legitimate and these issues are rarely discussed in the academic literature. In this volume, scholars from the disciplines of law, philosophy and sociology challenge various normative assumptions underpinning our understanding of fairness in criminal proceedings.

This book addresses the European Court of Human Rights’ fairness standards in criminal appeal, filling a gap in this less researched area of studies. Based on a fair trial immediacy requirement, the Court has found several violations of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights at the appellate level by at least eighteen States of the Council of Europe in a vast array of cases, particularly in contexts of first instance acquittals overturning and of sentences increasing on appeal. On the one hand, the book critically engages this case-law with the law revisions it has recently inspired in European countries, as well as with the critiques and difficulties that it continues to raise. On the other hand, it interweaves insight from criminal procedure theory with new discoveries in the field of cognitive sciences (neuroscience of memory, philosophy of knowledge, AI), shedding an interdisciplinary light on the (in)adequacy and limits of the Strasbourg Court’s jurisprudence.

The right to a fair trial has become an issue of increasing public concern, following a series of high profile cases such as the Bulger case, Khan (Sultan) and R v DPP ex p Kebilene. In determining the scope of the right, we now increasingly look to the ECHR, but the court has given little guidance, focusing on reconciling procedural rules rather than addressing the broader issues. This book addresses the issue of the meaning of the right by examining the contemporary jurisprudence in the light of a body of historical literature which discusses criminal procedure in a European context. It argues that there is in fact a European criminal procedural tradition which has been neglected in contemporary discussions, and that an understanding of this tradition might illuminate the discussion of fair trial in the contemporary jurisprudence. This challenging new work elucidates the meaning of the fair trial and in doing so challenges the conventional approach to the analysis of criminal procedure as based on the distinction between adversarial and inquisitorial procedural systems. The book is divided into two parts. The first part is dominated by an examination of the fair trial principles in the works of several notable European jurists of the nineteenth century, arguing that their writings were instrumental in the development of the principles underlying the modern conception of criminal proceedings. The second part looks at the fair trials jurisprudence of the ECHR and it is suggested that although the Court has neglected the European tradition, the jurisprudence has nevertheless been influenced, albeit unconsciously, by the institutional principles developed in the nineteenth century.

"Justice in Motion: Exploring the Dynamics of Criminal Law" is an insightful and comprehensive exploration of criminal law's multifaceted nature and its significance in modern society. The book delves into various aspects of criminal law, from its historical development and foundational principles to its application in contemporary criminal justice systems. The book emphasizes the importance of criminal law in maintaining social order, protecting human rights, and promoting justice. It covers the historical evolution of criminal law, from ancient systems of justice to modern legal frameworks, providing a broader context for understanding its evolution. Key themes emerge throughout the book, such as the significance of restorative justice principles, the need to address systemic biases, and the role of technology in shaping crime and law enforcement. The protection of human rights, prohibition of torture, and the right to a fair trial are recurring themes that underscore the importance of upholding fundamental rights in criminal proceedings. Innovations in criminal law and policy-making are also explored, with discussions on alternatives to traditional justice, technological advancements, and global perspectives on criminal justice. The book advocates for evidence-based policy-making, addressing emerging challenges, and promoting fairness, equality, and rehabilitation in criminal law. The call to action at the end of the book urges readers to promote a more just and effective criminal justice system. It emphasizes the importance of embracing restorative justice, addressing systemic biases, ensuring access to legal representation, and promoting global cooperation in combating transnational crime. Overall, "Justice in Motion: Exploring the Dynamics of Criminal Law" provides readers with a comprehensive and engaging examination of criminal law's role and complexities. It offers valuable insights for legal professionals, policymakers, and individuals seeking to understand and advocate for a criminal justice system that prioritizes justice, compassion, and fairness for all.

Confronted with politically motivated violence and profit-driven organised criminality, legal orders extensively rely on covert surveillance measures to detect, avert, and investigate offences. The rise of such measures and the increasing role of intelligence-gathering as a criminal policy tool does, however, pose considerable challenges to the fairness of criminal proceedings. This volume seeks to address these challenges by inquiring into how legal orders, in the context of criminal trials and related provisional preventive measures, deal with confidential information that must not be disclosed to the defence. To this end, it analyses the criminal procedure law of numerous European countries as well as related frameworks at the UN and EU levels. Comparing these findings and adding an analysis of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, the volume then outlines ways to safeguard fair-trial guarantees while respecting the operational needs of investigative authorities and intelligence agencies. The findings highlight how legal orders have increasingly accepted that the courts will often consider, in the assessment of the reliability of incriminating evidence, information that is not disclosed to the defence at any point during the proceedings. As a consequence, there is an urgent need to develop novel procedural approaches to improve judicial scrutiny of confidential material by strengthening the involvement of the accused and, at the same time, to prevent triers of fact at trial from becoming exposed to undisclosed material.

This open access publication discusses exclusionary rules in different criminal justice systems. It is based on the findings of a research project in comparative law with a focus on the question of whether or not a fair trial can be secured through evidence exclusion. Part I explains the legal framework in which exclusionary rules function in six legal systems: Germany, Switzerland, People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Singapore, and the United States. Part II is dedicated to selected issues identified as crucial for the assessment of exclusionary rules. These chapters highlight the delicate balance of interests required in the exclusion of potentially relevant information from a criminal trial and discusses possible approaches to alleviate the legal hurdles involved.

Through an indepth critical analysis of procedural decisions at the ICTY and ICC between 2008 and 2018, Rigney shows that there is a clear separation between fairness and rights in practice. She demonstrates tthat fairness is invoked in international criminal law decisions in inconsistent ways that are frequently at odds with defendants' rights.