TRIAL MONITORING
Protecting the right of lawyers, safeguarding the rights of the defence
Trial monitoring
Trial monitoring is the practice of observing and gathering information on court hearings and procedures to assess their compliance with fair trial standards. Through our presence we make the participants – particularly the court or judge and prosecutor – aware that they are under scrutiny of the international community and thereby encourage them to act, in the proceedings, according to fair trial standards.
Trial monitoring projects follow a cycle that includes the publication of a report containing recommendations aimed at enhancing the functioning of a country’s justice system. Advocacy represents the next stage of the trial-monitoring cycle, and aims at ensuring follow-up to the recommendations included in the report.
Our Trial Monitoring Programme in Turkey
In Turkey, lawyers frequently face arbitrary arrests, prosecutions, and detentions for their legitimate professional activities. Many targeted lawyers defend clients labelled as ‘enemies of the state,’ including journalists, opposition leaders, and others prosecuted under counter-terrorism laws or for criticizing government policies.
Since 2011, Lawyers for Lawyers has monitored criminal trials against lawyers in Turkey. Each year, we deploy trial observation teams, primarily composed of Dutch lawyers and often joined by representatives from bar associations and legal organizations across Europe, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Norway.
Our trial observations draw international attention to these proceedings, signalling to judges, prosecutors, and other court actors that the global legal community is watching. This presence promotes adherence to international fair trial standards and offers vital moral support to the lawyers on trial.
Our Trial Monitoring Programme in Turkey
In Turkey, lawyers frequently face arbitrary arrests, prosecutions, and detentions for their legitimate professional activities. Many targeted lawyers defend clients labelled as ‘enemies of the state,’ including journalists, opposition leaders, and others prosecuted under counter-terrorism laws or for criticizing government policies.
Since 2011, Lawyers for Lawyers has monitored criminal trials against lawyers in Turkey. Each year, we deploy trial observation teams, primarily composed of Dutch lawyers and often joined by representatives from bar associations and legal organizations across Europe, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Norway.
Our trial observations draw international attention to these proceedings, signalling to judges, prosecutors, and other court actors that the global legal community is watching. This presence promotes adherence to international fair trial standards and offers vital moral support to the lawyers on trial.
