universal-rights

Criminal cases become far more complex when more than one country's laws have been broken, when evidence must be obtained in a foreign country, or when the defendant is a foreigner who cannot understand the legal system, and sometimes even the language, of the country judging him.

Defendants often don't appreciate the danger they are in. A plea agreement in one country can be the crucial evidence used to convict in another. A Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement may facilitate sharing of evidence among prosecutors, while the defense must rely on letters rogatory and diplomatic bureaucracy. In many countries, rampant corruption makes participation by ethical attorney virtually impossible. Yet without assistance, the overseas prisoner may be at the mercy of a totally disfunctional and corrupt legal system. Finding good local counsel can be a formidable, if not an impossible task.

We have worked on numerous international criminal cases involving Latin America, the Carribbean, Thailand, Germany, and elsewhere. We've provided pro bono assistance to dozens of cases referred by the Foreign Prisoners Support Service in Australia, and receive faxes from people all over the world, in all kinds of languages. We are able to speak Spanish, can understand Portuguese to some extent, and some minimal ability in Arabic. Based in Washington, D.C., we are surrounded by embassies and can work through diplomatic channels, sometimes even filing court papers through this channel. Although we cannot practice law in foreign courts, we may be able to help with cases that involve the United States in some way.

We also believe that countries are bound by their international agreements, and that international human rights norms are applicable in domestic cases. This is the ongoing struggle for the universal recognition of basic human rights.

Copyright Paul Wolf, 2008. All Rights reserved.