The EU wants to introduce a standard letter of rights to criminal suspects based on the American ‘Miranda Warning,’ which begins with the phrase “You have the right to remain silent.”
 
The commission has proposed a common warning, easy to understand and written in the detained person’s own language – be adopted across Europe.
 
It is a complex issue there are 27 member states with different legal systems and a multitude of languages. 
 
 
Viviane Reding is the European Justice Commissioner:
 
“The letter of rights: it is in all the European languages and it is a model, so if there is a Member State who has a better model – for instance Germany has already today a system with 48 languages, now of course Germany will not abolish the 48 languages – on the contrary the law provides that there is a non regressive clause.”
 
 
The ‘Miranda Warning’ will be backed by guarantees of translation and interpretation, information on rights and charges, legal advice and aid; communication with relatives and employers and consular services  as well as safeguards for vulnerable persons.

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