On the occasion of marking the International Human Rights Day, the Coalition “All for Fair Trials” on 10 December 2020 held a promotional event in front of the Basic Criminal Court in Skopje. Through this event, the Coalition sought to contribute to raising awareness of fair trial standards.
In front of the Basic Criminal Court in Skopje, as one of the largest courts in the Republic of North Macedonia with the highest frequency of citizens, a stand was set up and promotional materials were distributed as well as a manual for the citizens. The promotional materials received by the citizens at this event are printed messages related to the rights of citizens that refer to the principle of fair and just trial, the right to a public and other information related to the rights of citizens in court proceedings. The manual “First time in court” – criminal procedure, is intended for citizens who do not have information and guidance on how to behave in court if summoned. This manual provides guidance and recommendations to citizens who do not have sufficient knowledge in the field of law and need access to justice to protect their rights in court.
The event was conducted within the project “Systematic monitoring of criminal court proceedings” funded by the Foundation Open Society – Macedonia. The purpose of this project is to support judicial reform aimed at fully meeting the criteria set out in Chapter 23 by assessing the effectiveness of criminal justice in the basic courts and monitoring the practical implementation of procedural guarantees set out in the Criminal Procedure Code and internationally accepted standards for fair and equitable trial. The project also aims to increase the transparency of the courts at the institutional level by strengthening the right to a public trial in the basic courts, as one of the components of fair and equitable trial standards and raising awareness of fair trial standards by initiating public debates and advocacy activities to overcome the detected conditions.
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10 December 2020