The prosecution’s duty of disclosure is at the heart of an accused’s right to a fair trial. Information and knowledge is power. Owing to the nature of criminal investigation, the prosecution almost always has more time and resources at its disposal in order to prepare its case than the defence. More importantly, the prosecution has access to certain information that the defence would not have and it has the means to access them. As a consequence, in order to ensure the fundamental rights of the accused are respected, it is crucial for the prosecution to disclose any relevant material to the defence in a timely manner so that the latter has a chance to prepare its case adequately. Despite the undeniable importance of this duty, prosecutors routinely violate their obligations of disclosing material to the defence that is of vital importance for case preparations. This thesis, accordingly, asks the question: why are disclosure problems so hard to resolve? Is the disclosure framework really workable in the international criminal tribunals? Public institutions, like the International Criminal Court, are supposed to be the epitome of justice; however, because of its unique characteristics, and perhaps ironically, international criminal law proved to be an ever harsher environment for the defendant when it comes to disclosure of evidence: the accused faces more obstacles when preparing its case and the Courts’ motivation to sanction prosecutors who fail to honour disclosure duties seems to be significantly lower when compared with national jurisdictions. In particular, due to certain difficulties and challenges faced by the international criminal tribunals and international prosecution, it is often argued that the standard of fairness can be different from the ones guaranteed to the accused in domestic courts. This thesis argues that these departures are not justified. Three main areas will be examined and analysed: the context in which the international criminal tribunals operate in, the nature of the prosecutor’s role, and the attitudes of the judges.

Magister Legum - LLM / News coverage of high profile criminal matters has increased in South Africa. Such matters are of public concern, as every citizen has a right to receive and impart information and to debate openly and frankly matters which are of public concern, including matters before the courts. The legitimacy of the courts is dependent on robust media reportage and public scrutiny of judicial matters which such reportage stimulates. However, criminal trials of high profile accused persons such as Oscar Pistorius, Shrien Dewani and J Arthur Brown, turn easily into a show with strong entertainment value, giving the media strong profitmaking reasons to cover it. In their pursuit of profit and in seeking to satisfy the curiosity of their readers, listeners or viewers, the media regularly resort to trial by media or adverse pre-trial publicity. Trial by media is nothing more than commercially motivated expression which does not warrant constitutional protection. At the receiving end of such coverage are accused persons. Public censure of crime and of accused persons which follows trial by media should not be imposed on the innocent. The right to a fair trial requires that an accused be treated fairly from the inception of the criminal process, from which point the person suspected of committing the crime in question is considered innocent. Any pre-trial process which implies that the accused is guilty, including any such process influenced by media reports surrounding criminal offences, violates the presumption of innocence. Despite the availability of remedies, the media in South Africa usually are not held to account for their actions and persist with adverse, biased and irresponsible pre-trial reporting. Courts have shown a tendency to protect the media in these cases, despite the effect of such reporting on the judicial process, the administration of justice and the fair trial rights of accused persons. The reason for this is usually the hesitation on the part of judges to recognise their susceptibility to extraneous matters. Judges should not be placed in a position where their independence and impartiality are questioned as a result of media sensationalism. Where the media create mistrust in the integrity of the judiciary, the rule of law is in peril.

The principle of contradictory in Criminal Proceedings Abstract The diploma thesis deals with the principle of contradictory of criminal proceedings, its various concepts and characteristics, especially its practical manifestations in Czech criminal proceedings. The aim of the work is to provide an insight into possible concepts of this principle, an overview of individual contradictory elements in criminal proceedings and then to draw attention to those elements that rather weaken the principle of contradictory. The work is divided into four chapters. The first chapter deals with the definition of the principle of contradictory. It offers several possible conceptions of this principle presented mainly by Czech authors. The chapter also contains a selection from the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, which ranks the principle of contradictory among the foundations of the right to a fair trial. The case law of the Czech Constitutional Court, which defines principle of contradictory following the example of the Strasbourg court, also corresponds to this. Finally, the chapter deals with the enshrinement of the principle in the current Criminal Procedure Code, but mainly the role of the principle in recodification work on the new Criminal Procedure Code. Chapter two describes some contradictory...

PhD (African Studies / Centre for African Studies / This study explored the implications of Act 12 of 2012 on the establishment of indigenous languages within the ambit of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa’s Act 108 of 1996 on the use of English and Afrikaans Languages only in the Vhembe District criminal court proceedings. The establishment of the Indigenous Language Courts for the purpose of using indigenous languages, namely Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Sepedi as languages of court was the main objective of this study. This study investigated (a) whether present legally-recognised methods on the use of English and Afrikaans only in criminal court proceedings give effect to the right to a fair trial and (b) what are the implications of the Use of Official Languages Act on the use of English and Afrikaans only in the Vhembe District multilingual criminal courtrooms. This was accomplished through qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, namely in-depth personal interviews and textual analysis of the literature and case law review on the phenomenon under investigation. The interviews were conducted with samples of seven categories of participants, namely, the accused persons, the convicted persons, the court officials, court interpreters, the DJ & COND Directors, the PanSALB and one University Centre for African Languages i.e. UCT. Through both methods, it was revealed that the legally enforceable methods that prefer the use of English and Afrikaans as languages of the courts and court records over the accused’s indigenous language or their mother-tongue in the entire trial thereby negating their right to a fair trial, are the provisions of the legislation and the Constitution and their application thereof, as well as legal instructions and culture. It was further revealed that this Act implied the elimination of the use of English and Afrikaans and creates opportunity to the accused’s right to use his or her mother-tongue as one of the indigenous languages in the entire trial thereby affording the accused the right to a fair trial. The study found that the two theories as designed and implemented revealed problems on the ground and helped this research to conclude that these legally enforceable methods created the feeling of unfair treatment amongst the users of the indigenous languages in court. It suggested that the three identified indigenous languages be used as languages of court and of court record.

Reviewing the decision on an administrative delict Abstract This diploma thesis deals with the reviewing the decision on an administrative delict, i.e. the reviewing performed by administrative authorities, but also by courts. The objective of this thesis is to define the basic terms and principles used in the reviewing the decisions on an administrative delict, and to further focus on individual means that allow the reviewing the decisions on an administrative delict. These individual means are discussed in the thesis, and there are also outlined their problematic aspects. The partial objective is to think about the current legislation in connection with the matter, whether such amount of various means is needed and whether this purposefully ensures the fulfilment and protection of rights. This thesis is divided into four basic parts. The first chapter is dedicated to sources of legislation and the influence of international and criminal law on the reviewing the decisions on an administrative delict. In the second chapter, there are defined the basic terms of the reviewing the decisions on an administrative delict, and there are further elaborated the principles that manifest themselves in the reviewing the decisions on an administrative delict. The means allowing the reviewing the decisions on an...

IN ENGLISH The purpose of my thesis is to provide an analysis of contradictority in criminal proceedings, particularly the evaluation of contradictority that is protected in penal code and its manifestation within preliminary proceeding and proceeding in court. This thesis tries to summarize the concept of contradictority in criminal proceedings and take the preparation of reform in penal code into consideration. The second chapter defines fundamental differences between inquisitional and adversarial juridical system, from which current juridical system is formed, where the contradictority is applied with some distinctions in meaning. Furthermore, the reading and the concept of contradictority in juridical system in legal study of continental legal system particularly in domestic on is discussed. In this chapter it is also analysed how courts put reading of contradictority and its definition into practice. The final part consists of reform juridical system and its relation to contradictority, especially to its protection by the basic principles in criminal proceedings. Next chapter analyses the scope of the meaning of contradictority and trial principles are attached and used. It is divided according to the aim of the use more precisely it looks into the real condition of the case, defence law and...

The theme of this Master's degree thesis is Legal Aid in the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany - A Comparison. The appeal of the selected issue results from its notable relation to history, legal philosophy or human rights, yet mainly from the possibility to compare different approaches to the provision of legal aid applied by each individual state. From a formal point of view, the thesis is composed of five chapters, the second and the third chapter being further divided into parts and sections. The introductory chapter outlines in the most general way the problem of the effect of economic inequality of individuals on the enforcement and protection of their rights. It also indicates the primary division of the text. Chapter Two comprises two parts: The first one briefly deals with the historic evolution of legal aid from the Ancient Rome to the expansion of the concept of equality before the law, as it emerged during the Enlightenment. Special attention is given to personality of Yves of Kermartin (1253 - 1303) and his legacy, which has inspired the lawyers of the following centuries. Part Two presents the theoretical fundaments of legal aid. Its third section, which deals with legal aid in relation to human rights, is of exceptional volume and importance. This...

Le constat selon lequel le droit au juge au profit des personnes physiques et morales est un élément de l’État de droit, et donc de l’Union de droit, constitue le point de départ de l’étude du droit au juge dans l’Union européenne. Sur le plan de l’effectivité de la protection juridictionnelle des droits que les particuliers tirent de l’ordre juridique de l’Union, on ne peut que constater que celle-ci est profondément conditionnée par les voies de droit ouvertes aux individus dans les ordres juridiques nationaux.L’examen du droit au juge devant les juridictions nationales démontre que l’ordre juridique de l’Union a réussi à leur imposer les prémisses d’un véritable droit processuel de l’Union. Concernant la capacité des juridictions de l’Union à assurer le droit au juge des particuliers, il est permis de soutenir que les limitations originaires de ce dernier ont, en partie, été comblées par l’entrée en vigueur du Traité de Lisbonne, qui a réduit le déficit juridictionnel dans le cadre de l’Union par la mise en place d’une juridictionnalisation accrue, une meilleure accessibilité à certaines voies de recours et l’inscription de garanties complémentaires, notamment en ce qui concerne le respect du droit à un procès équitable. Le postulat selon lequel l’Union européenne dispose d’un système complet et effectif de protection des droits des particuliers, s’il n’est pas exempt de critiques, tend néanmoins à se confirmer.Telle est l’ambition de cette recherche qui s’ordonne selon une structure bipartite : la protection juridictionnelle devant les juridictions nationales ; la protection juridictionnelle devant les juridictions de l’Union européenne. / The finding that the right to an effective judicial protection for the benefit of natural and legal persons is an element of the rule of law, and thus the Union of law, is the starting point of the study to the effective judicial protection in the European Union. In terms of effectiveness of the judicial protection of rights, which individuals derive from the legal order of the Union, it has been established that this latter is deeply conditioned by the remedies offered to individuals in the national legal systems. The review of judicial protection before the national courts demonstrates that the legal order of the European Union has managed to impose national courts the beginnings of a real procedural law of the Union. Concerning the ability of the European Union courts to ensure the right to an effective judicial protection of individuals, it is permitted to argue that the original limitations to the judicial protection have, in part, been addressed by the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, which reduced the judicial deficit through the Union by the extension of the jurisdiction of the courts, the improvement of the accessibility to certain remedies before the courts of the Union and the inclusion of additional safeguards, especially concerning the right to a fair trial. The assumption that the European Union has a complete and effective system of judicial protection of individual rights, which is not always free from criticisms, nevertheless, tends to confirm. This is the ambition of this research, which is organized in a bipartite structure: the judicial protection before the national courts ; the judicial protection before the courts of the European Union.

Puisque l'institution judiciaire dans les sociétés démocratiques est le garant des droits et libertés des individus, cette institution doit disposer tous les atouts qui lui garantissent de jouer ce rôle. La Mauritanie a connu à l'époque moderne l’instauration de ce pouvoir judiciaire, durant deux étapes importante, la première sous le contrôle du colonialisme français, qui a soumis le pays depuis plusieurs décennies, et la dernière après l’indépendance où la codification de la première organisation judiciaire en Mauritanie en date du 27 juin, 1961 avec la loi N° 61-012. En Mauritanie la justice dans son ensemble souffre de certain de maux, et l’accès à la justice pour l’ensemble des citoyens est entravé par beaucoup d’obstacles, et menacé par un certain nombre des insuffisances, et de nos jours, le droit à un procès équitable est un droit primordial, garanti par un ensemble de principes issus des conventions internationales dans le domaine de protection de droit de l’Homme. Le droit à un procès équitable est donc parmi des droits fondamentaux de l'être humain .il y a un certain nombre de conditions qui doivent être remplies pour assurer un procès équitable afin de protéger les droits des personnes. Afin de mettre en évidence et de clarifier les obstacles observés sur ces aspects, cette étude passe en revue l’organisation de la justice au pays, ainsi qu’une analyse des lieux des faille, tant sur le plan des empêchements issus des raisons socioéconomiques et organisationnelle, que celui de la non-conformité aux exigences internationales en la matière. Cette étude a présenté un ensemble de propositions, soient la révision de nos textes afin d’introduire davantage une manière plus efficace de ces principes, en particulier le principe de la collégialité, la publicité, et les droit des défenses. En renforçant les compétences du juge unique au niveau des tribunaux de première instance. Sans oublier d'assurer une plus grande spécialisation des magistrats tant au niveau des tribunaux des premières instances qu’au niveau de la cours d'appel. Toutes ces propositions ont pour but d’essayer d‘améliorer la situation actuelle, pour faire en sorte qu’il ait au moins l’existence de conditions minimales pour un procès équitable, car la violation du droit à un procès équitable, reste toujours une cause de préoccupation pour toute l’humanité. / As the judicial institution in democratic societies is the guarantor of the rights and freedoms of individuals, such institution must have all the means that allow it to play this role. Mauritania has known in its modern history the establishment of the judicial power, through two important steps. First was in the French colonialism, which has ruled the country for several decades, and the last was after independence with the codification of the first judicial organization in Mauritania on June 27, 1961 by Law No. 61-012. In Mauritania, justice had as a whole suffered from several problems and access to justice for all citizens is hindered by many obstacles, and threatened by a number of shortcomings. Today, the right to a fair trial is a primary right, guaranteed by a set of principles derived from international conventions as a part of human rights. The right to a fair trial is recognized as the fundamental among the human being rights but there are some conditions that must be met to ensure a fair trial in order to protect the rights of individuals. In order to highlight and clarify the obstacles observed in these aspects, this study reviews the organization of justice in the country, as well as it tries to provide an analysis of the places of the deficiencies as well as the impediments causing by socioeconomic reasons and organization and also the non-compliance with the international requirement in this area. This study gives some proposals, through the revision of the texts by introducing more strongly some principles. in particular the principle of collegiality, and the right of defense and by strengthening the prerogatives of the unique judge in the first instance courts and also in providing more specialization of the magistrates as well at the courts of the first instances as at the level of the appeal court. All these proposals aim to improve the current situation, for setting up the minimal conditions for a fair trial, because the violation of the right to a fair trial remains great concern for all humanity.

Modern piracy has escalated outside the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. In order to bring suspected pirates and alleged armed robbers to justice, the European Union has entered into a regional prosecution model with Kenya. In this study I examine if the regional prosecution model between Kenya and the European Union may have any implications on international criminal law by specifically analyzing the Kenyan jurisdiction to try piracy suspects and the right to fair trial in Kenyan criminal proceedings of piracy suspects. By using a legal method, this study offers some clarity regarding Kenya’s jurisdictional basis to prosecute piracy suspects, as well as, to what extent they respect the right to a fair trial in its criminal proceedings of alleged pirates. In addition, the legal analysis demonstrates that international criminal law may be undermined and subjected to mistrust. Furthermore, the legal analysis also offers indications on a normative development of the Security Council in relation to its role in bringing perpetrators of international crimes to justice.