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Case Watch Voices blogger Marion Isobel tells how recently, the Hungarian Constitutional Court examined what is really happening in police stations across Hungary. Despite Article 48(1) of the Hungarian Code of Criminal Procedure, which secures the right to a lawyer, many suspects do not get one in practice. The court found that Hungarian police often notify suspects’ lawyers in ways that guarantee that they will not be able to respond in time. The classic scenario is that the police will send a fax to the lawyer’s office late at night or on the weekends when the office is closed. Then, when the lawyer fails to respond, the police will begin to interrogate the suspect alone. Read more:
While the UN revives talks on an Arms Trade Treaty, Denmark is developing a Code of Conduct for companies transporting arms. Last week the UN revived talks on the long-awaited Arms Trade Treaty. While Denmark has been a staunch supporter of the treaty from the start, Denmark’s Minster of Foreign Affairs, Villy Søvndal, acknowledges that the treaty lacks any reference to the role of industry in the arms trade. As a result, the Danish government is developing a Voluntary Code of Conduct for Danish transportation companies, a unique initiative that will help address the private sector gap and prevent potential adverse human rights impacts by Danish shipping companies operating in the arms trade.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) deeply regrets that States were unable to adopt an Arms Trade Treaty at the diplomatic conference that ended March 28 in New York.
Despite a major push in recent years to crack down on corporate bribes to foreign officials, virtually none of the money paid in penalties has gone back to countries where the crimes occurred. Preliminary results of a report on government settlements in hundreds of bribery cases showed that out of $6.4 billion in penalties, only $185 million, or less than three percent, went to compensate victim countries.