Democratization: Rule of Law Rights Defender. The ODIHR arranged for the new human rights defender to visit the Lithuanian Parliamentary Ombudsman’s Office to facilitate knowledge-sharing on organizational aspects and on the Lithuanian practice in handling individual complaints with a view to increasing the operational capacities of the Office of the Human Rights Defender.2 Trial observation3 In recent years, trial observation has become an increasingly important activity for the OSCE as a whole. The ODIHR has conducted several trialobservation projects, and nearly all OSCE field operations carry out trial-observation activities. Trial observation is a powerful tool for collecting objective data on the functioning of the judicial system and, therefore, on the actual implementation of fair-trial standards. The findings gained through standardized, objective procedures provide essential data on shortcomings and needs and thereby help with the prioritization and provision of assistance. Trial observation is also an efficient tool for promoting the right to a fair trial and improves the quality of the administration of justice through the implementation of recommended follow-up actions to remedy shortcomings. OSCE field operations, especially those in South-Eastern Europe, have a wealth of experience in trial observation, and the ODIHR has been instrumental in ensuring that that expertise is shared across the Organization through periodic trial-observation co-ordination meetings. As an outgrowth of these meetings and in order to preserve the OSCE’s experience in the area of trial observation, the ODIHR has begun drafting a trial-observation reference manual. Due to be published in 2007, the manual will include best practices and lessons learned and 2 The ODIHR’s Human Rights Department established a Focal Point for Human Rights Defenders and National Human Rights Institutions in 2006. For more information, please see p. 63. will provide a ready resource for field operations developing a trial-observation programme. The purpose of the manual is to enhance the quality of trial-observation projects and thus lead to an improvement in terms of compliance with fair-trial standards in the courtrooms of participating States. In 2006, the ODIHR followed discussions on the introduction of lay assessors in a number of participating States. Although there are no generally recognized standards on lay participation in the administration of justice, such reforms can have a long-term effect on the functioning of the criminal-justice sector and have serious implications in relation to the realization of fair-trial principles. Thus, such reforms merit a comprehensive public debate before they are introduced and an informed discussion about the course of implementation of the respective laws when they come into force. Following the adoption of the law on the introduction of lay participation in criminal proceedings in Kazakhstan, the ODIHR started a project that will monitor implementation of the law. This builds on the role that the Office played in facilitating public debate on this issue in 2004-2005, when the ODIHR assisted the Kazakh authorities in organizing a series of public events that allowed discussion of various drafts of the law, and also presented the experience of other participating States, including Germany, France, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In the framework of this new project, 21 monitors were trained to monitor jury trials throughout the country in 2007. In addition to the trial-monitoring component, the ODIHR and a team of monitors will analyse media coverage of the reform and other practical steps that are needed to integrate the new system into the existing justice model. The project, which was welcomed by Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court, will enter its practical stage in 2007, when the adopted law comes into force. 3 The ODIHR’s Human Rights Department also carries out trial-monitoring activities. For more information, please see p. 57. 26 Annual Report  Strengthening defence lawyers The ODIHR supports continuing legal education