CT JUST: Criminal Justice Responses to Terrorism

Terrorist organisations remain a major security threat in the Middle East, Maghreb, Sahel and Horn of Africa. Terrorism is both a crime against the rights to life and physical integrity and a threat to freedom, justice and economic development that particularly affects vulnerable groups. The response to terrorist activity must be based on effective criminal justice, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and human rights.

The objective of the project is to enhance the capacities of the authorities along the whole anti-terrorist criminal chain, to contribute to the effective dismantling of terrorist networks and recruitment, ensuring the reparation and dignity of victims. Based on the lessons identified in previous or ongoing interventions, CT JUST strengthens the weakest or missing links in the criminal justice chain, from effective police investigation and conducive to the development of due process proceedings, evidence collection and custody, to victim treatment mechanisms. Under this premise, the focus of the intervention is on strengthening the rule of law, ensuring that all measures taken comply with national legislation, as well as with States' obligations under international law, in particular human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.

In addition to strengthening national authorities in priority countries, CT Just works on establishing strategic linkages, fostering judicial and police cooperation mechanisms for the development of effective regional and inter-regional criminal investigations.

In line with these objectives, CT Just's actions focus on the following components:

1) Strengthening the counter-terrorism criminal justice chain.
2) Strengthening preventive and operational capacities.
3) Promotion of multilateral and cross-border cooperation.