From 31 January to 1 February 2017, Terre des hommes Hungary and its partners from Belgium, France, Spain and the Netherlands, organized a study visit to Paris, France for legal practitioners from the project countries. The study visit was organized as part of the “Procedural Rights of Juveniles Suspected or Accused in Criminal Proceedings in the EU” project.
The study visit gathered around 25 legal practitioners from the project countries in order to expose them to a noteworthy practice identified in France during research. The visit allowed the participants to exchange with their French counterparts and to explore the application of the practice in their respective countries.
The participants met with juvenile law specialists from the Paris Bar Association and the Juvenile Protection Unit. They learnt first-hand about how these legal practitioners are assisting and providing specialized legal aid to accused children from the first moments of proceedings. The participants returned from the study visit with new knowledge on how these holistic legal service mechanisms in France are ensuring efficient access to legal assistance for children.
The "Pro-Jus project" had developed publications and are available on the Terre des hommes website. These include 5 national reports, a regional comparative report and a handbook for legal practitioners. The exchange visit was organized after the development of the regional comparative report.