Council of Europe’s Stand on Court Independence

Courts must be independent and impartial. Everyone charged with a criminal offence is presumed innocent until proved guilty, and is entitled to be defended by a lawyer, whose fees must be paid by the state if they cannot afford them.

#ECHRImpacthttps://t.co/DoKVAwq3LZ pic.twitter.com/PABs3MgWms

— Council of Europe (@coe) July 27, 2026