TRIAL International is a non-governmental organization fighting impunity for international crimes and supporting victims in their quest for justice. TRIAL International takes an innovative approach to the law, paving the way to justice for survivors of unspeakable sufferings. The organization provides legal assistance, litigates cases, develops local capacity and pushes the human rights agenda forward.
Resource Bank
There are alternatives to going to court to hold police forces and/or organisations accountable for human rights abuses. Think about whether any of the following could be appropriate for you.
Legal Area
Administrative law, human rights and constitutional law fall under an umbrella called public law. Public law regulates the relationship between the State and individuals. It defines what rights (i.e. the things people are entitled to) individuals have before agencies and government departments and what obligations (i.e. the things people have a duty to do) these […]
Legal Area
A civil claim involves arguing that the police violated your private rights in court. Unlike a complaint to an ombudsman, if successful, you will generally be awarded compensation for the harm you suffered as a result of the relevant authority’s breach of your rights. Unlike a criminal case, the purpose of a civil case is […]
Legal Area
A Police Ombudsman is an independent and impartial office that handles complaints about the conduct of police. The Police Ombudsman’s role is to investigate serious complaints made and conduct of staff working for the government’s law enforcement agencies. Although not all countries have a specific ombudsman that deals uniquely with police complaints, many countries have […]
Legal Area
If you believe you or someone in your community has been subject to an unlawful or arbitrary arrest, there may be options for you to challenge this using legal action. This section of the guide outlines different ways you can enforce your rights and hold the relevant authority responsible for your arrest accountable if they […]
Legal Area
In any type of legal case, you need to prove to a court that your “version of events” (i.e. what you are saying happened) actually happened. To prove your case, you will need evidence. Evidence is information in material, oral, written or “real” form that is presented to the court to prove a fact in […]
Legal Area
For the purpose of this Guide, an unlawful arrest is an arrest that is carried out in breach of the national law where the arrest took place. An arrest is lawful if: It can be justified in law; and It is carried out in the proper manner. The concept of arbitrary arrest is broader. It […]
Legal Area
The A4J Arrest Guide is a tool that’s designed to help you use legal action to challenge unlawful and arbitrary arrests. It seeks to give you information on your rights in arrest and how to enforce them through the legal process. This Guide deals with the process of arrest. If you want information on how […]
Legal Area
Action4Justice is a group of NGO’s united to support public interest litigation worldwide as a means to advance social justice.
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