JUSTICIA – Implementation of the EU Directive on the Right to Information in Criminal Proceedings

The project encompasses research about the status quo of EU Directive 2012/13/EU on the right to information in criminal proceedings in Austria and six other EU member states. It is part of the JUSTICIA network on procedural rights and its activities that aim at strengthening procedural rights in criminal proceedings within the EU.

The research consisted of two parts: a legal analysis looking at the implementation of the Directive as well as an analysis of the Directive’s practical implementation. For the second, practical part, firstly an electronic survey was conducted among lawyers. Subsequently, the project team conducted in-depth semi-structural interviews with some of the lawyers, a judge and the Austrian Ombudsman Board. The Austrian chapter was concluded by end of 2015, a comparative analysis of all seven EU member states is planned to be drafted in the course of 2016. The results shall then also be discussed with the Austrian Justice and Interior ministries as well as the EU Commission in 2016.