The volume contains the papers submitted to the International Symposium on "The Right to a Fair Trial" held at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg. The Symposium undertook one of the most comprehensive surveys in recent times of the implications of the fair trial principle with regard to criminal proceedings, ranging from the rights of the accused during the pre-trial procedure through the principle of impartiality of judges to the application of the right to a fair trial in emergency situations, both under domestic and international law. Well-known specialists assess to which extent these standards have actually been implemented in national legal systems and what reforms are necessary to enhance the effectiveness of international human rights law in this area.