Abstract: The fundamental right to a fair trial is considered an important feature and an ideal of the democratic society. Its application implies the compliance of a set of safeguards explicitly set out in Article 6 par. 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, called general safeguards. This paper aims to present the how the notion of the general safeguards is interpreted by the European judges in Strasbourg. 

Key-words: independent and impartial tribunal, reasonable time, public hearing, fairness principle