This book examines the rights of accused persons in criminal proceedings. The case-law of the international bodies dealing with this issue is presented and critically examined by an author who has contributed to its creation for almost a quarter of a century. He places particular emphasis on the European Court and Commission of Human Rights.

This volume considers the way in which the criminal law's current focus on individual rights may constitute an obstacle to ensuring fairness in criminal proceedings. Scholars from the disciplines of law, philosophy and sociology challenge various normative assumptions underpinning our understanding of fairness in criminal proceedings.The increasingly cosmopolitan nature of criminal justice forcing different legal systems to interact with each other as they attempt to combat crime beyond national borders has accentuated the need for systems to seek legitimacy beyond their domestic traditions....