opentrial.org - OpenTrial Associates

OpenTrial, a Norfolk initiative, is the world's independent, civil check on legal systems. Only by engaging civil society can the rule of law properly spread and take hold around the world.

Click here to help empower civil society for justice

and the OpenTrial for Dignity & Justice Group on Other Norfolk groundbreakers include: Robert Walpole, first Prime Minister of Great Britain; Elizabeth Fry, prison and social reformer; Horatio Nelson, tactically and strategically inspirational naval leader; Thomas Paine, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual and one of the Founding Fathers of the U.S.; Charles Townshend, prominent protagonist in the British agricultural revolution; Edward Richardson, agricultural trade unionist; and Thomas William Coke, pro-civil liberties politician, agricultural reformer and supporter of American independence.

"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

"An injustice sufferer's trauma, sense of vulnerability and powerlessness must cease to be compounded by the realisation that few will lift a finger to help."

Testimonial

OpenTrial assists victims of legal system dysfunction.

Since June of 2011, I have received continuing and unstinting assistance from OpenTrial and benefited enormously Read more

CASES & PLACES TO WATCH

The cases in Turkey of Omur Cagdas Ersoy (charged with belonging to a left-wing armed faction that no longer exists) and Cengiz Dogan (a Kurd, effectively charged with being in two places at the same time). As the government gets tougher, it now has imprisoned: 500 students for the alleged membership of terrorist groups, around 76 journalists, 47 lawyers and thousands of Kurd sympathisers.

Is Yulia Tymoshenko likely to receive a fair trial in Ukraine? Read more

Latest: The trials of medical staff from the Salmaniya Medical Complex in Manama, Bahrain, have been brought forward to 30th January. There are fears this is to thwart international monitoring by observers who arrive in March. Read more

Red Travel/Business Warning: Bali, Indonesia. Corrupt elements in the police and prosecution service, which concoct criminal cases and extort, remain a threat to business people & tourists. Here, from the island, are some classic examples of the dangers of legal system extortion and the tyranny of the corrupt.

Red Business Warning: The Economist reports that: "one in six businessmen in Russia has been prosecuted for an alleged economic crime over the past decade." Read more

Fair Trial

FAIR TRIAL

The basic criteria of this basic human right are:

PRE-TRIAL RIGHTS

1. The prohibition on arbitrary arrest and detention

2. The right to know the reasons for arrest

3. The right to legal counsel

4. The right to a prompt appearance before a judge to challenge the lawfulness of arrest and detention

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WE NEED OPENTRIAL ASSOCIATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

opentrial associates You can help:

stop the rape and sexual exploitation of female suspects by police,

stop extortion by prosecutors that leaves families homeless and penniless,

stop the torturing and shooting of suspects by police,

stop the destruction of business, employment and livelihoods by corrupt police, prosecutors and judges, and

stop the jailing on trumped-up charges of innocents, many of whom are family breadwinners, by the criminal and corrupt.

CASES OF TORTURE/CORRUPTION

If you know of a case in which torture or corruption/extortion has perverted or might pervert justice, tell us and work with us (anonymously if you wish) to monitor it, put it online and/or bring it to the attention of those who could help stop it. We may also be able to give you help and advice in dealing with the legal and non-legal aspects of the injustice.

PROFILES OF JUDICIARIES, POLICE AND PROSECUTION SERVICES

We also invite you to send us information about your judiciary, police and prosecution service which, once we have verified its accuracy, we will put online in order to enhance transparency and accountability.

Here is the type of information we need:

Profiles of judges, police chiefs and senior prosecutors, to include such information as: salary, conflict of interest disclosure, wealth audits, training, career history, etc.
The organisation structure of your judiciary, police and prosecution service – nationally and provincially,
Codes of conduct and practice,
Applicable rules and legislation,
Legally defined roles of officials and their security of tenure,
Bases for staff transfers,
Case assignment procedures,
Disciplinary procedures,
Whistleblower policy,
Salaries & staff recruitment/promotion procedures,
Independent international reports,
Statistics & performance indicators,
Judgements and case outcomes,
Annual budgets,
Annual expenditure.

Contact us today

Testimonial

Fair Trial

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