EUROPEAN LEGAL FRAMEWORK // LEGAL REFERENCE
A structured reference for procedural monitoring and legal analysis.
At a glance
A guide to Articles 47 and 48 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, including effective remedy, fair hearing, legal assistance, presumption of innocence and defence rights.
Article 47 guarantees an effective remedy before a tribunal for violations of rights and freedoms guaranteed by EU law. It also provides for a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law, and the possibility of advice, defence and representation.
Article 47 provides for legal aid for those who lack sufficient resources where such aid is necessary to ensure effective access to justice.
Article 48(1) states that everyone who has been charged is presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.
Article 48(2) requires respect for the rights of the defence of anyone who has been charged. Its application is read alongside relevant EU legislation and the general principles governing the Charter.
The Charter binds Member States only when they are implementing or otherwise acting within the scope of EU law, as provided by Article 51. It should not be treated as an independent source of EU competence or assumed to apply to every purely domestic situation.
Question for procedural review
Is the situation within the scope of EU law, and if so, were the rights to an effective remedy, a fair hearing and respect for the defence protected?
Official text of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
This page is an informational legal reference, not a substitute for the official text or case-specific legal advice. The primary source linked above remains authoritative.
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