Criminal defence: Mr Thuan Dit Dieudonné speaking at the national symposium of the Syndicat des Avocats de France

On 27 and 28 May 2023, the Syndicat des Avocats de France (SAF) brought together lawyers, judges and academics in Marseille and online for its annual criminal defence symposium , dedicated to a central figure in the trial: the witness. Its title: “Call the witness”.

🎤 Mr Thuan Dit Dieudonné’s presentation

Mr Grégory Thuan Dit Dieudonné spoke on the subject of amicus curiae submissions before the European Court of Human Rights. Amicus curiae, or ‘friend of the Court’, refers to the opportunity for an organisation, an expert or a State that is not a party to the proceedings to provide the Court with its perspective (this is known as a ‘third-party intervention’). A powerful, yet little-known, tool for shaping European case law.

🏛️ Alongside recognised figures

  • the President of the Marseille Bar Association and the Chair of the SAF at the opening
  • magistrates, including an investigating judge at the Paris Judicial Court
  • academics in law and cognitive psychology
  • criminal lawyers from the Bar Associations of Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Seine-Saint-Denis

⚖️ Key themes

  • The role and oath of the witness, past and present
  • How memory shapes (and distorts) a witness statement
  • Examination and cross-examination
  • The protected witness, the ‘key witness’, the witness during the preliminary investigation
  • And, with the amicus curiae, an open question: is another kind of witness possible?

Why this is essential

A witness’s testimony can tip the balance of a trial. Knowing how to strengthen it, challenge it, or ensure other voices are heard all the way to Strasbourg lies at the heart of an effective criminal defence.

👉 Criminal proceedings, defence before the European Court of Human Rights: our firm is here to support you.

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