Press Release: Fair trial rights: EU Justice Ministers approve law ensuring translation and interpretation rights in criminal proceedings

European Union Justice Ministers have approved a law that ensures translation and interpretation rights in criminal proceedings. The European Commission and the European Parliament backed the law earlier this year. 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. The law is the first of a series of fair trial measures to set common EU standards in criminal cases. EU Member States now have three years to put the measure into their national laws.