TRIAL OF INDIVIDUALS IN CONNECTION WITH THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2017 IN CATALONIA
‐The oral phase of the trial is scheduled to begin on 12 February. This delay of approximately one week is due to a series of requests from the defence, which the Court must study and deliberate upon. ‐The trial will be public, with the utmost transparency. The Supreme Court will, moreover, guarantee the greatest possible coverage. ‐As is normal in democratic States, there is no provision for recognition or accreditation of "international observers". However, any individual who wishes to “observe” the proceedings first‐hand in the court may do so freely—space in the courtroom being the only limitation. The room to be used for the trial will be larger than those normally used (having a capacity for 150 persons). Moreover, there are plans to also make available an additional room with a capacity for 180 persons, where the proceedings may be viewed in real time via a video transmission. ‐Space will be reserved for two or three family members per defendant, and an interpreting service will be available to translate between Catalan and Spanish, should the defendants prefer to speak Catalan. ‐The proceedings will also be streamed, and a Wi‐Fi network will be set up for the occasion. ‐The website of the General Council of the Judiciary (Consejo General del Poder Judicial –www.poderjudicial.es) will provide the professional biographies of the judges and lawyers who will participate in the proceedings. ‐This same website will also provide documents regarding the proceedings, including all of the indictments, court orders, and decisions handed down as part of the case against the independentist leaders. This will be the first time that such online information is provided, and that a trial of this kind is streamed. ‐Two judges from the General Council of the Judiciary will be available, to provide journalists with clarification regarding more complex legal issues (in Spanish, English, or French). ‐Foreign correspondents will receive a basic press kit with information on the Spanish legal system and the characteristics of this trial. ‐The accreditation of journalists will be the responsibility of the General Council of the Judiciary. The State Secretariat for Communication (Office of the Presidency of the Government) may also provide technical assistance in this area. To date, more than 600 requests for accreditation have been received.
