Request for Proposal: Drafting Contract for TrialWatch Observation Reports

The ABA Center for Human Rights is seeking a consultant who will draft trial observation report outlines and reports as well as provide revisions on reports. The consultant must have analytical and drafting skills as well as experience with international human rights law, such as fair trial rights, and gender topics such as gender discrimination. Russian language skills are desirable.

Responsibilities will include:

• Preparing outlines of trial observation reports. (Expected time to complete: 6 working days.)

  • Read through court documents from the case file, monitors’ notes, media reports, and reports from states and NGOs on the political and legal context in the country.

  • Research treaties and treaty body precedent applicable to the case as well as relevant commentary from UN Special Procedures and other international bodies.

  • Prepare a detailed outline of the report that includes identified fair trial violations and other human rights violations, relevant standards and precedent, and the relevant facts from the case. This can be in bullet point form.

• Drafting trial observation reports. (Expected time to complete: 8 working days.)

  • Draft the report, which includes the following subsections: the executive summary, the political and legal background, case history, pretrial violations, fair trial violations, and substantive fairness concerns (i.e., violations of the right to freedom of expression, the right to freedom from non-discrimination, and so on).

  • Follow up with defense counsel and any other relevant contacts (such as trial monitors, etc.) on any issues that remain unclear.

  • Fully cite and cite-check the report.

• Provide revisions on trial observation reports. (Expected time to complete: 5 working days.)

  • In line with revisions on the draft provided by CHR staff, add relevant jurisprudence, restructure or reorganize the report, and adjust framing and language.
  • Follow up with defense counsel and any other relevant contacts (such as trial monitors, etc.) on any issues that remain unclear.
  • Fully cite and cite-check the report.