judicial independence – Page 2 – International Justice Resource Center

African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Developing Right to Life General Comment

August 27, 2015 IJRC African System, armed conflict, civil society, conditions of detention, crime & impunity, death penalty, democracy & political rights, economic, social & cultural rights, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial executions, international human rights, international humanitarian law, judicial independence, liberty & security of person, reparations, right to life

In June 2015, the Working Group on Death Penalty and Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Killings (Working Group) of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) met in Kigali, Rwanda to develop a General Comment on Article 4 (right to life) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, also known as the Banjul Charter (Charter). This meeting

Commission of Inquiry and Special Rapporteur on Eritrea: Mandates Extended

July 20, 2015 IJRC children, civil society, crime & impunity, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, family, freedom of religion, human rights defenders, immigration & asylum, international human rights, judicial independence, labor rights, liberty & security of person, persons with disabilities, privacy, property, right to life, security & rule of law, thought, expression & association, UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Procedures, women's rights

On June 4, 2015, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea (Commission) issued a report containing findings of “systematic, widespread, and gross human rights violations” that might rise to the level of crimes against humanity committed by the State of Eritrea. [OHCHR Press Release: UN Inquiry] See UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Commission of

Human Rights Committee Reviews 7 States’ Records on Civil and Political Rights

June 29, 2015 IJRC children, civil society, democracy & political rights, discrimination, family, freedom of religion, human rights defenders, immigration & asylum, indigenous communities, international human rights, international humanitarian law, judicial independence, labor rights, LGBTI rights, liberty & security of person, military and humanitarian intervention, persons with disabilities, privacy, reproductive and sexual rights, right to life, thought, expression & association, UN treaty bodies, women's rights

This week, the Human Rights Committee will commence its 114th session in Geneva, Switzerland. The session will take place from June 29 to July 24, during which time the Committee will review the State reports of Canada, France, Macedonia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela. The Committee will also review reports submitted by civil society organizations and national human

New Members Elected to Inter-American Human Rights Bodies, Amid Controversy

June 25, 2015 IJRC civil society, Inter-American System, international human rights, judicial independence

On June 16, 2015, at the 45th Regular Session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, D.C., Member States elected four commissioners to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and four judges to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR). [IACHR Press Release] These eight positions comprise more than half of the total

14 States’ Human Rights Records Examined in Universal Periodic Review

May 14, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, children, civil society, crime & impunity, democracy & political rights, discrimination, domestic courts, due process & judicial protection, economic, social & cultural rights, family, freedom of religion, human rights defenders, immigration & asylum, indigenous communities, interim measures, international human rights, international humanitarian law, judicial independence, labor rights, LGBTI rights, liberty & security of person, military and humanitarian intervention, persons with disabilities, privacy, progressive development of law, property, reparations, reproductive and sexual rights, right to life, security & rule of law, thought, expression & association, transitional justice, Universal Periodic Review, women's rights

The Human Rights Council is close to concluding its 22nd Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group which began on May 4 and will conclude on May 15, 2015 to examine 14 States’ human rights records. [OHCHR Press Release] During these Working Group discussions, UN Member States are reviewing the human rights practices of Belarus, Liberia, Malawi, Mongolia,

Committee against Torture Reviews 8 States’ Records

April 29, 2015 IJRC civil society, crime & impunity, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, family, human rights defenders, ICTY, immigration & asylum, indigenous communities, international human rights, judicial independence, LGBTI rights, liberty & security of person, right to life, thought, expression & association, UN treaty bodies, women's rights

The Committee against Torture (CAT) is currently holding its 54th session in Geneva which began on April 20 and will continue through May 15. According to the agenda, CAT is considering the State reports of Colombia, the Republic of Congo, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Romania, Serbia, Spain, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on their implementation of the Convention against

IACtHR Publishes 2014 Annual Report

April 16, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, children, civil society, crime & impunity, death penalty, democracy & political rights, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, economic, social & cultural rights, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial executions, family, freedom of religion, human rights defenders, immigration & asylum, indigenous communities, Inter-American System, international human rights, judicial independence, LGBTI rights, liberty & security of person, massacres, military and humanitarian intervention, persons with disabilities, privacy, progressive development of law, property, reparations, reproductive and sexual rights, security & rule of law, thought, expression & association, women's rights

Last month, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued its Annual Report 2014, summarizing the Court’s structure, jurisprudence, and activities throughout 2014. The Report discusses the Court’s functions, summarizes the status of cases before the Court, breaks down the Court’s budget, and describes additional activities the Court undertook in 2014. See Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Annual Report 2014. The

UN Human Rights Committee Reviews 6 States’ Civil and Political Rights Records

March 30, 2015 IJRC children, civil society, conditions of detention, democracy & political rights, discrimination, freedom of religion, human rights defenders, immigration & asylum, indigenous communities, international human rights, international humanitarian law, judicial independence, labor rights, LGBTI rights, persons with disabilities, privacy, thought, expression & association, torture, UN treaty bodies, women's rights

The UN Human Rights Committee is holding its 113th session from March 16 to April 2, to consider the State reports of Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Monaco, and Russia on their implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). During the session, representatives from each State will engage in a dialogue with members of the Human

African Commission to Review Eight States’ Human Rights Records

March 25, 2015 IJRC African System, civil society, conditions of detention, death penalty, democracy & political rights, discrimination, economic, social & cultural rights, human rights defenders, immigration & asylum, indigenous communities, international human rights, judicial independence, liberty & security of person, persons with disabilities, reproductive and sexual rights, security & rule of law, thought, expression & association, torture, women's rights

The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) will open its 56th Ordinary Session on April 21, 2015 in Banjul, the Gambia. During this session, which continues through May 7, the Commission’s agenda includes discussion of the human rights situation in Africa, consideration of State reports, and hearing activity reports from members of the Commission and its special mechanisms. This

Inter-American Commission to Hold 55 Human Rights Hearings in March

March 11, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, children, civil society, conditions of detention, crime & impunity, death penalty, democracy & political rights, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, economic, social & cultural rights, human rights defenders, immigration & asylum, indigenous communities, Inter-American System, international human rights, international humanitarian law, judicial independence, labor rights, LGBTI rights, liberty & security of person, persons with disabilities, property, reparations, security & rule of law, thought, expression & association, transitional justice, women's rights

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is holding its 154th regular session from March 13 to 27, 2015 at IACHR headquarters in Washington, D.C. The agenda includes public hearings on March 16, 17, 19 and 20. [IACHR Press Release] The hearings allow both States and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide the IACHR with information and context on 55 human