Facts
In this case, the Federal Tribunal examined the request for compensation for defence costs submitted by X., a defendant acquitted by the Criminal Court of the Canton of Geneva. X. had received legal aid and a court-appointed defence counsel for the cantonal proceedings. The Criminal Appeals and Review Chamber of the Geneva Cantonal Court declared the appeal filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office against the acquittal judgment inadmissible, leaving the costs of the proceedings to be borne by the State.
X. filed a criminal law appeal with the Federal Tribunal, concluding to the annulment of the cantonal judgment and the remand of the case, while also requesting legal aid.
Considerations
The Federal Tribunal dismissed X.'s appeal. Arts. 429(1)(a) and 436(2) CrimPC provide for compensation for expenses incurred by the reasonable exercise of procedural rights, but this compensation concerns only the costs incurred by the defendant for a privately retained lawyer.
In the present case, X. received legal aid and a court-appointed defence counsel. The costs attributable…