Low-Level Offences and Procedural Rights in Europe (online event)

Online Event: "Low-Level Offences and Procedural Rights in Europe" on Thursday, 4 Mar 2021 17:00 - 18:30 CET.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, police and prosecution pursued punishment of violations of COVID-related measures. These prosecutions fell heavily on people of colour, people experiencing homelessness or poverty, or other groups that are often targeted by policing.

Prosecutions for such "minor offences" do not always have "minor" consequences: they have very serious consequences for people, including incarceration. Yet under domestic and European law people charged with low-level offences are not granted the same procedural protections as people charged with more serious offences—often because the law assumes that these offences do not carry serious consequences. In this session, we will learn about how low-level offences are punished in Europe, the procedural deficiencies and/or lack of protections available to people being tried of low-level cases, and about the types of conduct that is generally punished. We hope to understand what policy solutions we may take forward, and using what approached and tools.

Speakers:

Emmanuelle Debouverie, Fair Trials (moderator)
Nicole Bögelein, University of Cologne
Sarah Ganty, Yale Law School
Mitali Nagrecha, Fair Trials
Christiaan van Veen, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at NYU School of Law
Mohammed Wa Baile, Allianz Gegen Racial Profiling Switzerland

This event is a public panel as part of our 2021 Legal Experts Advisory Panel (LEAP) Annual Conference: Power and Punishment in Europe. LEAP is Fair Trials’ European network of experts in criminal justice and human rights which works to promote fair trial rights in Europe. LEAP currently counts some 200 organisational members, with representatives from law firms, CSOs, and academic institutions, covering all 27 EU Member States. (photo:pixabay)

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