TITLE I
BASIC RULES AND ACTIONS IN THE CRIMINAL TRIAL

Chapter l
AIM AND BASIC RULES OF THE CRIMINAL TRIAL

Art.6 - The right to defence is guaranteed to the accused person, to the defendant and to the other parties all throughout the criminal trial.

During the criminal trial, the judicial bodies must ensure the parties' full exertion of their procedural rights, under the circumstances stipulated by the law and must administrate the evidence necessary for defence.

The judicial bodies must inform the accused person or the defendant, immediately and before hearing, of the deed of which he is held responsible and of its judicial status, and must ensure the preparation and exertion of his/ her defence.

Any party is entitled to assistance by defender during the criminal trial.

The judicial bodies must inform the accused person or the defendant, before his/ her first statement, on his/ her right to be assisted by a defender; this will be recorded in the official report of the hearing.
Under the circumstances and in the cases stipulated by the law, the judicial bodies must provide judicial assistance for the defendant, if the latter has not chosen a defender.

TITLE V
TRIAL-RELATED AND COMMON PROCEDURAL ACTS

CHAPTER I
JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE AND REPRESENTATION

Assistance of the accused person or defendant
Art.171 - When judicial assistance is obligatory, if the chosen defender does not appear, without reason, at two consecutive summons, according to the case, at the date established for an action of criminal investigation or at the date settled for trial, thus creating difficulties for the development and solution of the criminal trial, the judicial body appoints an ex officio defender to replace the chosen one, granting him/her the necessary time to prepare the defence, which may not be shorter than 3 days, except the solution of requests regarding preventive arrest, when the due time may not be shorter than 24 hours.

Article 67
Rights of the accused
1. In the determination of any charge, the accused shall be entitled to a public hearing, having regard to the provisions of this Statute, to a fair hearing conducted impartially, and to the following minimum guarantees, in full equality:
(b) To have adequate time and facilities for the preparation of the defence and to communicate freely with counsel of the accused's choosing in confidence