Welcome to the Association of Commonwealth Criminal Lawyers

The criminal legal systems of the 54 jurisdictions which make up the Commonwealth share much in common.   For this reason, courts across the Commonwealth are frequently interested in understanding how common problems are dealt with in other Commonwealth countries.   The Association of Commonwealth Criminal Lawyers (ACCL) exists to enable lawyers to understand the criminal law in each others’ jurisdictions, and to keep up with new developments, so that traditional principles of common law criminal justice – including the rule of law, an adversarial process, and the right to a fair trial by an independent and impartial tribunal – are maintained and developed across the Commonwealth.

The ACCL is governed by its council, and run by a board of directors. Please go to the forum to find out about the latest developments in criminal law across the Commonwealth.   To post in the forum, and to create a profile on the site, you need to become a member of the ACCL.   To find out details, including the structure of the courts, the legal profession, and contact details of relevant organisations in another Commonwealth jurisdiction, go to the resources page.