The participants heard a brief welcoming speech from the ECBA president, Holger Matt, from the CCBE president Antonín Mokry, and from the Norwegian Supreme Court Justice Arnfinn Bårdsen.

Mr Matt and Mr Mokry stressed the close relationship between the CCBE and the ECBA, and Mr Bårdsen that judges and lawyers are brothers in arms for fair trials!
On Saturday the conference itself was opened by the president of the Norwegian Bar Association, Jens Johan Hjort. He emphasized the importance of free legal aid to ensure fair trials, the need for minimum standards across Europe to reduce pre-trial detention and improving the conditions for prisoners detained.

The need for minimum standards for pre-trial detention was the topic for the first panel debate, chaired by Louise Hodges. The president of the CPT of the Council of Europe, Mr. Mykola Gnatovskyy, gave a highly informative presentation of important issues to be considered for implementation in such minimum standards. He was followed by a very informative comment from Mr. Paul Garlic, attending via Skype from hospital, and brief comments from Arild Dyngeland, Marius Emberland, Vania Costa Ramos and Peter Wille from Norway’s National Institution for Human Rights. Emphasis from all participants was on limiting the use and length of pre-trial detention, particularly since the detained person has not been found guilty of any crime and as such has the right to be presumed innocent, also because pre-trial detention often is under far worse conditions compared to serving after a final conviction. This presents a great risk to physical and mental health and is an erosion of fair trial rights.

The second panel debate was chaired by Vincent Asselineau and Holger Matt. Heiko Ahlbrecht, Amedeo Barletta, Mette Yvonne Larsen, Arturas Gutauskas, Gwen Jansen, Caroline Morgan and Ed Smyth gave an informative presentation of different national systems for compensation after wrongful prosecution, leaving an impression of an imminent need for minimum standards also in this area.

Before lunch, we heard presentations from Margarete von Galen, Vice-President of the CCBE, James McGuill, chair of the CCBE-CLC, and from Peter McNamee, Senior Legal Advisor, Brussels.

After lunch we were given an interesting presentation from Jago Russel of Fair Trials, UK, on the use and abuse of Plea-Bargaining around the world and the risk this represents to the concept of fair trials followed by report from different countries.
The last point of business in the conference was the general assembly and elections. As new President of the ECBA was elected Vincent Asselineau and as new members of the Executive Committee, Vânia Costa Ramos as Vice Chair, Roland Kier as Vice Chair, Neil Swift as Treasurer, and Hans van de Wal as Secretary.

The former President, Holger Matt, and long-time members of the Executive Committee, Louise Hodges and Kevin Roberts all withdrew from the Executive Committee. The ECBA and all its members are grateful for all their hard work and efforts on behalf of the ECBA!

Lastly, Jonathan Stuart Mitchell was appointed as honorary member of the ECBA, highly deserved for his long and strong engagement in the ECBA.

Report by Arild Dyngeland