Brussels, 20/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - European Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding suggested on Tuesday 20 July that there should be a new directive to ensure that any persons suspected or accused of a criminal offence in a member state are informed of their rights in a language that they understand. Thus, any persons arrested or the subject of a European arrest warrant should be informed of their fundamental rights in writing in a “Letter of Rights” listing their basic rights during criminal proceedings. This will include the reasons for the arrest, the immediate assistance of a lawyer, the right to have an interpreter and translation of documents if that language is not understood, and knowledge of how long detention will be. “We have all seen police officers read rights to suspects on TV series. It makes good TV, but it also serves a various purpose: it gives people a chance to know and assert their rights. It gives them confidence that justice will be served, wherever they are in Europe”, Reding said. Although member states are free to choose the exact wording of the Letter of Rights, the proposal provides a model in 22 official languages of the EU. Over 8 million criminal proceedings take place in the EU each year. In some countries, suspects are only orally informed of their rights while, in others, written information is complex and only provided on request. The EU Council and the European Parliament are to take a stance on this proposal. (B.C./transl.jl)