This diploma thesis addresses issues of the institute of settlement in. The institute of settlement is one of the diversions in criminal proceedings. Diversions (divergences) in criminal proceedings are construed as special types of criminal proceedings, alternative to standard hearing of a case in main trial, within which the criminal case can be settled. The institute of settlement was incorporated into the Czech Criminal Procedure Code by the amendment n. 152/1995 Sb., that became effective on 1st September 1995. The essence of the institute of settlement is a conclusion of an agreement between the accused person and the damaged person. Such agreement is then approved and the criminal prosecution against the accused person is therefore terminated. It is thus achieved the settlement and elimination of the confrontation which was caused as a result of the committed crime between the accused person and the damaged person concerned. Title: Settlement in criminal proceedings Key words: Settlement; settlement of the confrontation between the accused person and the damaged person; approval of the settlement; diversion in criminal proceedings; Code of criminal procedure; restorative justice

The composite right to meaningful and informed participation in the criminal process comprises the right to information, the right to understand, the right to be prepared, the right to be present, the right to confrontation and the right to present one’s case. The sub-rights are not of an overarching nature such as the right to legal representation and the right of access to the law. The various rights are grouped together because they show some connection with the ability of the suspect or the accused to participate in the criminal proceedings as a legal subject, and not as an object of the proceedings as in primitive times. These rights ensure that the accused will not participate in the criminal process from an unfavourable position. The heading ‟meaningful and informed participation” is therefore a collective term for these rights. These sub-rights form part of the comprehensive right to a fair trial. The thesis examines aspects of the position of the accused in South Africa and in foreign jurisdictions such as the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and Islamic systems. International instruments such as the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and decisions of the United Nations Human Rights Committee are also considered. The thesis first considers the historical perspective of the accused in primitive times when he was regarded as an object of the criminal proceedings, to the present time when he is regarded as a subject of the proceedings. The study on foreign jurisdictions reveals that for the most part, our law is in line with the law of other countries. The study also demonstrates that the various rights are not absolute. In exceptional circumstances, some diminution of the accused’s rights is necessary to protect the interests of society. Nevertheless, the courts should act cautiously and not allow the exceptions to overtake the rule. The judiciary should strive to find a better balance between the constitutional rights of the accused and the interests of society. To this end, the judicial system must be objective yet vigilant. / Criminal and Procedural Law / LL.D.

The thesis deals with the comparison and evaluation of development conditions of detention and imprisonment in jails and prisons in the Czech Republic with the terms of previous years, but especially progress in respecting the rights and dignity of prisoners.

The theme of my diploma thesis is the efficiency of the probation supervision of the system of justice. My aim is to inform wheather and in which way the probation supervision helps to reduce the risk of crime's relapse. This diploma thesis is divided into two parts. The first one is theoretical whereas the second one is practical. In the theoretical paragraph I explain the aims and reasons of probation supervision. The wide scope of taking advantages of this care is also mentioned. I describe all activities connected with the above. The pecularities of youngters's probation supervision are pointe dout, as well. Last but not least I inform about the course of the probation supervision and try to compare alternative sanctions to the imprisonment. A statistic survey of probation supervision in last few years makes a part of my thesis, too. The second part of my thesis is based on my practice in the centre of probation and mediation care. I mention the results of my research among the members of the working team in the above organisation and social worker's for youngsters and adults. I inform about their points of view of this care and connected probléme and thein cooperation. The next paragraph show the way of life of several clients of probation and mediation care. I inform about their situation, crime,...

Mental illness that affects an accused’s fitness to stand trial is an ill-explored topic in the South African criminal justice system. The necessity to explore this topic is motivated by the increasing number of persons with mental illness moving into the criminal justice systems in South Africa, Canada, and the United States of America. An accused’s fitness to stand trial is assessed once concern about his ability to follow the proceedings, or give proper instructions to his legal representative, is in doubt. The assessment is conducted in the forensic system where the vastly different fields of law and psychiatry meet. The South African forensic system is plagued with resources and skills shortages. These inadequacies cause delays in resolving pre-trial issues for an accused in respect of whom fitness is at issue. The accused is oftentimes detained in a correctional facility awaiting fitness assessment for anything between three months to two years. Generally, detention in a correctional facility has a negative effect on the mental state of a person with a mental illness. The logistics of fitness assessments differ between the three jurisdictions referred to above. However, the threshold for fitness in these jurisdictions is relatively low, with the result that the majority of accused persons sent for fitness assessments are found fit to stand trial. Such a finding does not imply that the accused is not mentally ill; it simply means that the illness does not affect his understanding of the court proceedings and that it does not influence his ability to communicate with his legal representative. An accused with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or major depression can, for example, be found fit to stand trial. After a fitness assessment, a court may either find an accused fit to stand trial or unfit to stand trial. The fact that many persons found fit to stand trial have a mental illness suggests that there is a third category on the fitness continuum that must be acknowledged, namely, fit but mentally ill accused persons. No alternatives to traditional prosecution currently exist in South Africa for this third group of accused persons despite the fact that their situation in the criminal justice system calls for a therapeutic response. The South African legislative framework that regulates fitness assessments and the processes associated therewith are not without challenges. The assessment practices have recently been under scrutiny by the Constitutional court, which judgment changed the position for the accused found unfit to stand trial. The position of the fit but mentally ill accused remains unregulated. The Canadian and American criminal justice systems have implemented diversion programmes for fit but mentally ill accused persons in the form of Mental Health Courts. The underlying principle of a Mental Health Court is therapeutic jurisprudence. Therapeutic jurisprudence evaluates the impact of the law on those in conflict with it. It promotes the inclusion of expertise from other disciplines to improve the effectiveness of the law in a particular set of circumstances. Many South African scholars acknowledge the need for mental health expertise in the criminal justice system, and suggestions have been made for the diversion of mentally ill accused persons charged with minor offences. Those above notwithstanding, no formal diversion programmes exist in South Africa for the fit but mentally ill accused. This research investigates the Mental Health Court as a therapeutic response to the mentally ill accused in the South African criminal justice system. The Mental Health Court models as employed in Canada and the United States of America are studied to identify elements thereof that can be employed in the South African context to provide an effective alternative to traditional prosecution for the mentally ill accused. The Toronto Mental Health Court is studied in the Canadian context as a court that is not a diversion programme as such but has a diversion component attached to it. Diversion in Canada is reserved for those charged with less serious offences, and only these accused persons are allowed into the diversion component of the Mental Health Court. However, the Canadian Mental Health Court assists those who do not qualify for diversion but who need the specialised skills of the Mental Health Court for purposes of, for example, a bail application. The Brooklyn Mental Health Court in the United States of America is investigated as a model that constitutes a complete diversion programme and considers diversion of accused persons charged with more serious offences. The unique structure and procedure of each of these Mental Health Courts are investigated with due consideration to the eligibility criteria of each and the sanctions employed for non-compliance of the court-monitored treatment programmes. Further, the successes and challenges of each model are highlighted. Finally, a proposal is made for a Mental Health Court model mindful of the uniquely South African factors that have to be taken into account when building such a model. Amendments to the existing legislative framework are proposed to incorporate a Mental Health Court as a therapeutic response to mentally ill accused persons in the South African criminal justice system. / Criminal and Procedural Law

In den vergangenen Jahrzehnten befand sich die Rechtsstellung des Beschuldigten in einem Wandel. Zunächst fand ab 1949 ein Ausbau des Rechtsstaats verbunden mit einem Ausbau der Rechtsstellung des Beschuldigten statt. Ab Mitte der 70er-Jahre zeichnete sich dann jedoch eine Tendenzwende ab, die sich bis heute durch drei maßgebliche Entwicklungslinien kennzeichnet: 1. Die Vereinfachung und Beschleunigung des Strafverfahrens durch 11 Schwerpunktgesetze. 2. Die Terrorismusbekämpfung und Bekämpfung von OK durch 10 Schwerpunktgesetze und ab den Terroranschlägen vom 11. September 2001 durch viele weitere Änderungen. 3. der Opferschutz durch 8 Schwerpunktgesetze. Dadurch erlitt die Rechtsstellung des Beschuldigten massive Einschränkungen. Diese nachteiligen Auswirkungen für den Beschuldigten müssen auf nationaler Ebene wieder ausgeglichen werden. Insbesondere ist hierfür eine Stärkung der Beschuldigtenstellung im Ermittlungsverfahren erforderlich. Auch auf europäischer Ebene befindet sich die Rechtsstellung des Beschuldigten im Wandel. Eine Vereinheitlichung und Stärkung der Beschuldigtenrechte erfolgte erst durch das 2009 vom Europäischen Rat beschlossene Stockholmer Programm. Dies führte nachfolgend zu einer Stärkung der Rechte des Einzelnen durch den Erlass einer Reihe von Richtlinien, die dann auch in Deutschland umgesetzt wurden. Immer mehr wurden die aufgezeigten Entwicklungslinien aber auch auf EU-Ebene verfolgt, wodurch die nationale Gesetzgebung maßgeblich beeinflusst wurde. Und es bestehen auf EU- Ebene weiterhin noch Lücken, weil kein einheitlicher Mindeststandard an Beschuldigtenrechten geschaffen wurde. Dabei stößt auch die 2017 geschaffene Europäische Staatsanwaltschaft, die mittlerweile ihre Arbeit aufgenommen hat, auf Bedenken. Deshalb muss auch auf EU-Ebene über Reformmöglichkeiten diskutiert werden. Vor allem durch die Einrichtung einer unionsrechtlich institutionalisierten Europäischen Strafverteidigung. / Over the past decades, the legal position of the accused has undergone significant changes. Beginning in 1949, there was an expansion of the rule of law alongside an enhancement of the rights of the accused. Yet, from the mid-1970s, a shift began that continues today, characterised by three significant developments: 1. The simplification and acceleration of criminal proceedings through 11 key legislative acts. 2. Counterterrorism and organised crime measures through 10 key legislative acts, with numerous additional changes following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. 3. Victim protection through 8 key legislative acts. As a result, the legal status of the accused has faced considerable limitations. These adverse effects must be counterbalanced at the national level, particularly through the strengthening of the position of the accused during investigations. At the European level, the legal status of the accused is also undergoing transformation. The unification and strengthening of the rights of the accused was only initiated by the Stockholm Programme, adopted by the European Council in 2009. This subsequently led to the enhancement of individual rights through the enactment of a series of directives, which were then implemented in Germany. Moreover, these outlined trends have increasingly been pursued at the EU level, significantly influencing national legislation. Nevertheless, gaps still exist at the EU level, as no uniform minimum standard of rights for the accused has been established. The European Public Prosecutor's Office, established in 2017 and now operational, also faces concerns. Therefore, discussions regarding reform possibilities must also occur at the EU level, particularly through the establishment of a union law-institutionalised European defence for the accused.

The State as the representative of the victims of crime is expected to protect those vulnarable group of people with due regard to the rights of the perpetrators’s of crime. It is imperative that the law of general application which is aimed at protecting victims of crime, be sufficiently effective to protect the victims. The Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 is aimed at assisting the police to conduct pre-trial criminal procedure in order to bring perpetrators of crime to book. Sections 36A, 36B, 36C and 37 (both previous and as amended) of the Criminal Procedure Act including chapter 5A of the South African Police Act, 1995 are explored in this dissertation. This dissertation examines the areas in the Criminal Procedure Act that make it problematic for the police to conduct efficient and effective crime detection through the ascertainment of bodily features of the suspected or accused person. The law in three foreign jurisdictions relating to this topic are investigated and compared in order to make recommendations and suggest possible solutions. / Criminal & Procedural Law / LL.M.

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa guarantees every person a fair trial; the right to a fair trial right trial must begin and conclude within a reasonable time and without undue delay. Internationally the same guarantees and protections are available to unconvicted suspects. However, the South African criminal justice system lacks behind internationally and falls short of promoting these guarantees. Investigation was done on delays in commencing and finalising trials in light of constitutional provisions, the consequence and the impact of the delay with discussion on prison conditions and overcrowding with reference to the Constitutiton, legislation and case law. Delayed trial, prison overcrowding and poor prison conditions are still an issue in South Africa and there needs to be positive change to enforce and practice prescribed directives. South Africa‟s justice system through its servants, need to do more to gain a higher status of having a constitutionally democratic country that fully promotes‟ rights of detainees. / Criminal & Procedural Law / LLM

Si le respect du droit à un procès équitable devrait occuper une place éminente au sein de toute société démocratique, cette exigence revêt un caractère axiomatique au sein d'une juridiction tournée vers la lutte contre l'impunité et la protection des droits de l'homme, telle que la Cour pénale internationale. Le peu de jugements rendus depuis plus de dix ans par la Cour permanente pourrait laisser penser qu'une telle étude est encore prématurée. Cette analyse met au contraire en exergue la densité de son activité et la singularité de ses procédures. Sacralisé par la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme, le droit à un procès équitable se décline en règles qui régissent non seulement les relations entre les parties mais aussi les rapports des individus avec la juridiction. Si la notion de droit à un procès équitable est familière des juristes, son interprétation pose un certain nombre de difficultés nouvelles. L'hybridité structurelle et normative de la Cour pénale internationale influencera nécessairement la réception que celle-ci réservera au principe, mais également l'interprétation unique qu'il conviendra de donner à ce droit fondamental. Prenant acte du caractère novateur de cette juridiction, cette thèse n'omettra pas d'envisager le droit à un procès équitable sous le prisme singulier de la victime, nouveau visage du procès. Souvent exclue du débat judiciaire relatif à l'équité des procédures, cette analyse s'attèle à replacer cet acteur au coeur des préoccupations régissant la conduite équitable du procès. / While the right to a fair trial should be at the heart of any democratic society, this requirement has an axiomatic significance in a court dedicated to the fight against impunity and the protection of human rights, such as the International Criminal Court. In view of the few judgments rendered in over ten years of this permanent Court's existence, this study might seem somewhat premature.Rather, this analysis purports to shed light on the diverse nature of the Court's activities and the unique character of its procedures. Enshrined by the European Court of Human Rights, the right to a fair trial is expressed in the form of regulations that govern not only the relationships between the parties, but also the interaction of individuals with the Court. The concept of the right to a fair trial may be familiar to legal experts trained in different legal traditions. Still its interpretation is fraught with challenges that are new and specific to this permanent Court. The structural and normative hybridity of the ICC will inevitably influence not only the treatment of this concept, but also the unique interpretation that this fundamental right deserves. Against the backdrop of the innovative nature of this Court, it would be remiss of the author of this thesis not to consider the right to a fair trial through the unique prism of the victim, the new face in the trial. Often excluded from the judicial debate on the fairness of the proceedings, this analysis will nevertheless endeavour to place this stakeholder back in the heart of the concerns over the conduct of a fair trial.

Právnická fakulta Univerzity Karlovy v Praze Katedra mezinárodního práva Mgr. Pavel Bureš Human Rights in International Criminal Procedure Praha 2011 2 Abstract The rapid development of International Criminal Law in the second half of 20th century and especially on its end is marked by a proliferation of international criminal judicial organs and thereby by a huge increase and development of procedural norms determining these organs' jurisdiction and functioning but also specifying procedural status of individuals - suspected and accused persons, victims. The submitted thesis focuses on one of the aspects of individuals procedural status, namely their procedural guarantees - human rights in international criminal procedure. The analyse of human rights in international criminal procedure (the proceedings before International Criminal Court) was done having been backed by statutory regulations of international military tribunals and ad hoc tribunal for Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and their case-law. The hypothetical start point was to consider that procedural guarantees in the ICC procedure established by Rome Statute in 1998 are on a highest level and more detailed than these guarantees enshrined in ad hoc tribunals Statutes and even in international universal or regional human rights protecting...