British Nationals Overseas

Birmingham City University's Centre for Human Rights Clinic’s British Nationals Overseas project provides assistance to British nationals facing criminal proceedings in foreign jurisdictions. It contributes additional resources and expertise to support consular staff and local lawyers in the provision of effective consular assistance and legal representation.

Typical tasks include: assessing domestic criminal proceedings to ensure a fair trial and access to justice, assistance in identifying local lawyers, experts and translators, records collection and other investigatory services, advice in respect of extradition law, including, the terms of bilateral treaties and public international law principles when no bilateral treaties exist, and, further international human rights issues.

The project aims to ensure that British nationals abroad are adequately protected under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963), and the criteria recognised within the UK Supreme Court judgment in R (on the application of Sandiford) v. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, [2014] UKSC 44. The Project also supports local lawyers representing non-local persons facing criminal proceedings in a foreign jurisdiction, and it seeks to increase awareness of international human rights law.