If you are granted the official status of a victim, you have the right to participate in criminal proceedings. You can be private prosecutor/private complainant or civil claimant. You can exercise these rights yourself or through a representative.
Your rights
With the official status of a victim, you or your representative have the right to:
- Participate in the court hearings
- Participate in the examination of the evidence
- File complaints and submissions
- Express your opinion at all stages of criminal proceedings
- Receive the judgement and the protocols from the hearings
- Appeal the judgement
- Receive protection for yourself and for your relatives
Representative
Your representative in criminal proceedings can be a lawyer who you authorise to represent you and to make sure your rights in the proceedings are observed.
important If you are a minor you will need a legal representative to participate in criminal proceedings. If you don’t have a representative or your representative cannot help you to fully participate in the proceedings, the court may grant you a special representative-lawyer to represent you during the proceedings.
If you are a minor, your representative may be:
- Your parents or legal guardian
- A special representative appointed by the court
If a court has established legal guardianship for you due to a mental disability or for other reasons, your legal guardian can also represent you in the criminal proceedings.