Professional secrecy is one of the core values of the lawyers' profession, recognized by European Jurisprudence and Laws and Constitutions from Member States as well as a basic principle in the Criminal Law field. The clients’ confidence and right to privacy, the information that they entrust lawyers and the necessity of a rapid reaction in order to obtain and share information which could deprive rights and liberties, justify the utmost importance given to the safety and efficiency of professional communications.
Thus, geographical distance and the difficulty of establishing a close relationship between colleagues from different countries transform the Internet into the optimal channel for communication in cross border criminal cases.
Within this context, PenalNet helps promoting an e-Justice culture at European level and is in accordance with the European Commission initiative in this field. It is based on a digital certificate-based platform wherein EU criminal lawyers may register and communicate securely, which helps strengthen the cross-border confidence and guarantees identification, confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation.
PenalNet is also aligned with the European Interoperability Framework for Paneuropean e-government services, that sets the standards needed so that public administrations, enterprises and citizens can interact across borders, in a pan-European context. More info here
Digital certificates used to accredit lawyer condition at PenalNet are issued according to the CCBE Policy for National Certification Authorities to interoperate digital certificates, based on Directive 1999/93/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 on a Community framework for electronic signatures. More info here
PenalNet has been co-financed by the program Criminal Justice 2007, from the Directorate-General Justice, Freedom and Security of the European Comission, and the partner countries involved, and it will be opened to all the lawyers members of the participating Bars in June 2010.
