This briefing paper summarizes the current minimum international legal standards on the right to legal aid, drawing on European human rights law and global principles and standards.

Combining statistical analysis, first-person accounts, graphics, and case studies of successful reforms, this report is the first ever global survey of the damage done by unnecessary and arbitrary pretrial detention.

Eight case studies look at how legal empowerment projects can reduce poverty and help people realize their rights; with a forward by George Soros.

Three non-governmental organizations surveyed 105 adult pretrial detainees in two prisons to gather information on how their detention affected their socioeconomic position.

A report on the impact of pretrial detention in Ghana based on a survey of the experiences of 45 adults held in Kumasi prison.

A report on the costs of pretrial detention in Sierra Leone, based on a random survey of 128 adults held in three prisons.

Part of a toolkit on arrest rights in Europe, this “template brief” from the Open Society Justice Initiative provides lawyers with arguments and research to support litigation in domestic courts.

Part of a toolkit on arrest rights in Europe, this “template brief” from the Open Society Justice Initiative provides lawyers with research on the right of suspects to obtain information during criminal proceedings.