On Monday, 12 October 2026, a scientific event entitled “The ECHR and Criminal Procedural Law” was held at the Events Hall of the Athens Bar Association. The event was co-organised by the Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights (MFHR) and the Institute of Criminal Procedural Law.

The event brought together academics, legal practitioners and members of the judiciary to explore the relationship between the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and criminal procedural law, focusing on key issues in legal theory, case law and practice.

The presentations highlighted, among other issues, the importance of the presumption of innocence, the safeguards governing the examination of witnesses, the challenges relating to the functioning of jury courts, and the protection of the confidentiality of communications. Particular emphasis was placed on ensuring the effective protection of the rights of the defence and the consistent application of the ECHR safeguards by national courts.

The event concluded with an open discussion and a Q&A session, highlighting the academic and legal community’s strong interest in ensuring the effective protection of the right to a fair trial and upholding the rule of law. The discussion also highlighted the progress made by national courts in bringing their case law into line with the standards of the European Court of Human Rights, while underscoring the need for further efforts to ensure that human rights are effectively protected in practice.

The organisers would like to extend their warm thanks to everyone who attended the event and contributed to a fruitful and particularly lively academic discussion.

The event programme is available in PDF format.

A summary of the key conclusions is available here.