Abstract Rights to access a lawyer in criminal procedure: comparing Lao and International Laws.

This article analysis is a study about defendants’ rights to access a lawyer in criminal law as defined in the Convention of Lao government and international documentations standards including constitutional and Laos’s law determined to rights as started as said.

This document can be used as a reference by the relevant authorities in handling criminal procedures. In practice, defendants usually do not have access to the protection offered by lawyers that they are entitled to.

The analysis will highlight the importance of protecting the defendants ‘rights because they are the primary combat missions in bringing justice to the proceedings and those rights are in accordance with the principles of International law.

The analysis is a compilation of documents related to rights to access a lawyer in criminal procedure as defined in treaties and laws, including opinions from legal officials, texts written by scholars, magazines and other documents. Further, this analysis also interview important people in legislation, legal practitioners, ex-defendants and other parties involved.

This study has found that the Laos law is consistent with the International law with regards to the defendant’s right in gaining access to a lawyer and that the defendants are aware of their rights. However, defendants are unable to utilize their rights effectively due to incompetent protection offered by lawyers.