The Disappearing Trial Contents Terminology.................................................................................................................................................. 2 Executive Summary...................................................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction 6 Background................................................................................................................................................... 8 Learning from the United States’ experience............................................................................................... 9 A. B. C. D. E. Waivers of rights without sufficient procedural safeguards.............................................................................................. 10 Discrimination: juveniles, people with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities........................................................ 11 Innocence and miscarriages of justice............................................................................................................................... 12 Lack of oversight of police and prosecutorial conduct..................................................................................................... 15 Over-charging, over-criminalisation and over-incarceration............................................................................................ 17 2. Global Research 18 Methodology.............................................................................................................................................. 22 Findings...................................................................................................................................................... 23 A. B. C. Proliferation of trial waiver systems....................................................................................................................................23 Increasing use of trial waivers.............................................................................................................................................32 Reasons for introduction of trial waiver systems...............................................................................................................36 i. Efficiency.....................................................................................................................................................................36 ii. Trial waiver systems introduced as part of larger reforms to criminal procedure codes...........................................37 iii. Tool in the fight against complex crime.....................................................................................................................38 iv. Accurate and individualised charging and sentencing..............................................................................................38 v. Victims’ interests.........................................................................................................................................................38 vi. Increasing conviction rates and fighting impunity.....................................................................................................39 vii. Improving human rights protection...........................................................................................................................39 D. Types of trial waiver system................................................................................................................................................42 E. Jurisdictions without trial waiver systems..........................................................................................................................43 F. Safeguards..........................................................................................................................................................................52 i. Mandatory access to a lawyer.....................................................................................................................................52 ii. Enhanced disclosure requirements............................................................................................................................52 iii. Timing of agreements.................................................................................................................................................52 iv. Judicial scrutiny of evidence.......................................................................................................................................54 v. Judicial scrutiny of procedure....................................................................................................................................54 vi. Involvement of judge in negotiations.........................................................................................................................55 vii. Enhanced recording/data collection..........................................................................................................................56 viii. Limitations on benefits...............................................................................................................................................56 ix. Limitations on types of cases......................................................................................................................................57 3. International Legal Framework 60 International and regional standards.......................................................................................................... 62 International and regional case law and guidance..................................................................................... 64 A. United Nations Human Rights Committee........................................................................................................................64 B. ECtHR jurisprudence on trial waivers.................................................................................................................................64 International criminal courts and tribunals................................................................................................. 66 A. International Criminal Tribunals......................................................................................................................................... 67 B. International Criminal Court..............................................................................................................................................68 4. Conclusions and Recommendations 70 Annex I: Survey data on trial waiver systems.............................................................................................. 74 Annex II: Safeguards................................................................................................................................... 80 1.