Legal Defense
(Last modified: 2004-06-02 17:45:33)
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) retains local attorneys to assist it in litigating strategic cases involving violation of the rights of Roma. Given the limits on available resources, the ERRC will offer this opportunity only in a small number of cases according to the criteria set down below. In hiring attorneys to work on behalf of the ERRC and under the ERRC guidance in defending the rights of Roma, the ERRC acknowledges that the interest of the client is paramount.
CRITERIA
a. Principle/Strategic Priorities:
In determining which cases to litigate and which attorneys to hire on behalf of ERRC to litigate cases involving Roma rights violations, the ERRC takes into consideration a number of factors, including:
whether the case raises an issue of general public importance with respect to the protection of the rights of Roma, with particular focus on racial discrimination;
whether the case constitutes a particularly grave violation of human rights;
the quality of legal representation to be afforded and the viability of the legal strategy proposed;
the potential for the case to have an impact on similar cases or on jurisprudence in the field;
the potential for publicity about the case to serve a wider educational purpose.
b. Subject matter (Nature of cases)
racial discrimination against Roma in education, housing, employment, access to public accommodations, social services, health, and other fields;
racially motivated violence against Roma perpetrated by police officers, skinheads, and others non-state actors;
immigration and asylum cases concerning serious human rights abuses; and
access to justice issues.
c. Ability
Lawyers must be practicing attorneys who are licensed in respective countries and who have initiated or will initiate legal action on behalf of, or in defence of, Romani clients.
If you are interested, and have a case involving violation of Roma rights, please send the following to the address below:
A description in English of the facts and the legal status of the case.
A concise outline of the attorney's proposed course of action / litigation strategy.
Any relevant court or other documents (i.e. complaint, indictment or other charging instrument, court judgment and sentence).
A document proving that the attorney applying to the ERRC has been duly authorised by the client to act on his behalf (Power of Attorney).
A budget of projected expenses with a detailed itemisation.
Please send these to the Legal Department Administrator, European Roma Rights Centre, 1386 Budapest 62, P.O. Box 906/93 Hungary.
Application form: Download it (zip file)! |
