Post Title: Data Expert for the Fair Trials Index Project
Responsible To: Senior Legal and Policy Officer
Start Day: 1 November 2025
Daily Rate: €380-€532 (depending on qualifications and experience)
Location: Open to remote work
About Fair Trials Europe
Fair Trials is a criminal justice watchdog, focused on improving the right to a fair trial in accordance with international standards.
Fair Trials’ work is premised on the belief that fair trials are one of the cornerstones of a just society: they prevent lives from being ruined by miscarriages of justice and make societies safer by contributing to transparent and reliable justice systems that maintain public trust. Although universally recognised in principle, in practice the basic human right to a fair trial is being routinely abused.
Our work combines:
* Helping suspects to understand and exercise their rights
* Building an engaged and informed network of fair trial defenders (including NGOs, lawyers and academics)
* Fighting the underlying causes of unfair trials through research, litigation, political advocacy and campaigns
Fair Trials coordinates the Legal Experts Advisory Panel (LEAP), a network of fair trial defenders that brings together lawyers, academics, civil society representatives, activists, and people with lived experience in the criminal justice system.
Fair Trials Index Project Background
The right to a fair trial is underpinned by various rights, safeguards and guarantees. Fair trials are a cornerstone of democracy, helping to ensure fair and just societies, and limiting abuse by governments and state authorities. Without the bedrock of impartial justice, trust in institutions erodes, investors hesitate, and entire communities are left vulnerable.
Fair Trials works to advance respect for the human right to a fair trial by identifying systemic failures in criminal justice systems, alerting the world to these problems, and then resolving them through research, capacity-building of local experts, network-building, and advocacy and public campaigns. It is clear that there are systemic fair trial abuses occurring in countries across the globe but lack the access to demonstrate this and to build urgency and engagement to address violations of this long-standing human right.
Presently, no index comprehensively unpacks the right to a fair trial. Global indexes are important as they can inform and even trigger powerful global transformations. They shine a light on the state of play, often debunking stereotypes and highlighting good and poor practices. Indexes can spark public discourse and encourage governments to address deficiencies. Their existence alone can provide a platform for media engagement and advocacy with policymakers but also provide reliable and comparable data to inform the work of reformers directing resources where they are most needed and driving real change.
The Fair Trials Index Project aims at creating an Index focused on presenting the degree to which criminal justice systems around the world comply with the right to a fair trial by implementing the different rights and safeguards it contains.
Objectives
* Create global awareness of the set of rights and safeguards that constitute the right to a fair trial, from the moment of arrest until a judicial decision is reached
* Establish clear and measurable standards for compliance with the right to a fair trial as a whole, providing governments with concrete targets to achieve
* Facilitate monitoring of progress and setbacks over time
* Reveal new and evolving threats to the rights and safeguards underpinning the right to a fair trial
* Foster communication and collaboration between NGOs, law firms, academia, international corporations and governments, facilitating knowledge sharing and joint efforts to tackle existing gaps in the implementation of the right to a fair trial
* Provide data and evidence to support advocacy efforts and policymaking at the national, regional and international levels
Timeline
In 2021, Fair Trials launched the Fair Trials Index (Index) to score criminal justice systems on their fairness and compliance with international human rights standards. The project’s design was reviewed in 2023 and preliminary research began in 2024. The project is aimed to run until 2028 in its design stage.
Role Summary
Fair Trials Europe is seeking a Data Expert to support our team working on the Fair Trials Index Project.
As a Data Expert working specifically on the Fair Trials Index Project with Fair Trials Europe, you will play a crucial role in providing specific expertise on creating a methodology for the development of a data instrument – Fair Trials Index, an initiative aimed to become a global advocacy tool, providing comparative analysis to highlight and raise the profile of criminal justice reform.
The Data Expert will provide technical expertise and inputs at all stages of the project, including the preliminary research stage, the research stage, the development of the methodology for the data instrument, the creation of the data instrument, and the data collection. The tasks include, among others, data reviews, data analysis, assessment conceptualization, production of information products (including the Interactive map and country factsheets) and dissemination of information products. The Data Expert will work closely with the Project Manager and the Senior Legal Officer to ensure that this expertise is involved in all stages of the project.
Qualifications
* University degree or specialisation in data science, statistics, or data analysis.
* Expertise in Data Methodology and Analysis: Proven experience in designing, implementing, and validating multi-dimensional indexes, dashboards, or comparable data instruments. Ability to handle complex quantitative and qualitative datasets, including scoring frameworks, weighting, and benchmarking.
* Data Visualization: Skilled in presenting complex findings in accessible formats.
* Analytical rigor and problem-solving.
* Excellent written and verbal skills in English.
* Legal and Human Rights knowledge is an asset.
Other Requirements
* Professional demeanor, strong work ethic, and excellent verbal communication.
* Robust planning and organisation skills.
* Proactive.
* Communicate with legal professionals and developers.
Application Procedure
Fair Trials Europe is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply for this position.
To apply, please send a CV and cover letter devoting at least half of the letter to your approach to the project and to the developing methodology for the data instrument, to recruitment@fairtrials.net by Wednesday 15 October 2025 at 18.00 CET.
Please clearly include your name and “FTE Data Expert for the Fair Trials Index Project” in the subject field of the email.
The Selection Process
We aim to inform short-listed candidates by 31 October 2025.
The personal data which you have provided, and which we may request, in connection with your application, will not be retained beyond 12 months should your application be unsuccessful. If you are appointed, your personal data will only be used for the purposes of human resources management.
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