Press Release: Council adopts EU wide rights to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings, Luxembourg, 7 October 2010

The Council has adopted EU wide rules on the rights to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings. An agreement has been reached with the European Parliament in first reading. It is the first ever EU measure setting common minimum standards for the rights of the defence in criminal matters. The law guarantees the right of suspects to obtain interpretation throughout criminal proceedings, including when receiving legal advice, in their own language in all courts in the EU.