judicial independence – Page 3 – International Justice Resource Center

A witness testifies during Rios Montt's first genocide trial.Credit: Elena Hermosa/Trocair

Guatemalan Court Suspends Genocide Retrial of Former Dictator

January 8, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, domestic courts, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial executions, Inter-American System, international humanitarian law, judicial independence, massacres, torture, UN treaty bodies

The retrial of former Guatemalan dictator José Efraín Ríos Montt reopened on January 5, 2015, but was quickly suspended. [La Prensa; BBC] Charged with committing genocide and crimes against humanity against indigenous Ixil Maya of the Quiché region, the 88-year-old ex-army general is allegedly responsible for 15 massacres carried out against indigenous Mayans during his rule from 1982 to 1983,

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Holds Hearings on Racism in U.S. Criminal Justice System, Social Protests in Mexico, the Internet, and Other Human Rights Issues

October 29, 2014 IJRC civil society, crime & impunity, democracy & political rights, discrimination, economic, social & cultural rights, human rights defenders, immigration & asylum, indigenous communities, Inter-American System, international human rights, judicial independence, LGBTI rights, liberty & security of person, thought, expression & association, women's rights

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is holding its 153rd session from October 23 to November 7, 2014, with public hearings on October 27, 28, 30 and 31. The hearings allow both States and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide the IACHR with information and context on 53 human rights issues, ranging from the impact of mining operations on human

UN Human Rights Bodies Urge Venezuela to Release Opposition Leader Leopoldo Lopez, Ensure Protesters Are Not Arbitrarily Detained or Prosecuted

October 23, 2014 IJRC due process & judicial protection, Inter-American System, judicial independence, liberty & security of person, thought, expression & association

On Monday, United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein voiced concern over the detention of a Venezuelan opposition leader, Leopoldo López, and more than 69 others who were involved in months-long public protests that began in February 2014 in response to the country’s ailing economy, high rate of violence, and sharp political divisions. “The prolonged

UN Human Rights Committee Issues Concluding Observations on State Reports of Chad, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Nepal, Sierra Leone, and the United States

April 3, 2014 IJRC civil society, democracy & political rights, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, human rights defenders, immigration & asylum, indigenous communities, international human rights, international humanitarian law, judicial independence, LGBTI rights, liberty & security of person, reparations, reproductive and sexual rights, right to life, security & rule of law, thought, expression & association, transitional justice, UN treaty bodies, women's rights

The UN Human Rights Committee held its 110th session from March 10 to 28 to consider the State reports of Chad, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Nepal, Sierra Leone, and the United States of America. Following the session, the Committee released its concluding observations, detailing key concerns and recommendations for these States’ improved implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

UN Human Rights Council Calls on States to Safeguard Judicial Independence

June 24, 2013 IJRC civil society, due process & judicial protection, judicial independence, UN Human Rights Council

At the conclusion of its 23rd Regular Session this month, the UN Human Rights Council adopted by consensus Resolution A/HRC/23/6 on the “independence and impartiality of the judiciary, jurors and assessors, and the independence of lawyers.” The Resolution addresses a range of critical areas requiring State attention to ensure an independent legal system, from the impartiality of prosecutors to the

The Right to Legal Aid: Observations of a UN Special Rapporteur

June 3, 2013 IJRC civil litigation, due process & judicial protection, international human rights, judicial independence, UN Special Procedures

On May 30, Ms. Gabriela Knaul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, presented her report on the right to legal aid to the UN Human Rights Council. Legal Aid as a Human Right In framing the report, the Rapporteur stresses that “[l]egal aid is an essential component of a fair and efficient justice system that

Committee on Enforced Disappearances Issues its First Concluding Observations, on State Reports from Uruguay and France

May 2, 2013 IJRC civil society, crime & impunity, due process & judicial protection, enforced disappearance, international human rights, judicial independence, liberty & security of person, UN treaty bodies

The United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) held its fourth session from April 8 to 19, 2013 and reviewed State reports for the first time. Uruguay and France were the first States to be reviewed by the CED, which has now issued its “concluding observations” on those governments’ compliance with the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from

Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Nepal Continues to Face Criticism

April 9, 2013 IJRC Asia, international criminal law, judicial independence, transitional justice

Nepal continues to face difficult questions in addressing the legacy of the civil conflict that spanned 1996 to 2006. On March 14, 2013, Nepal’s President Ram Baran Yadav passed an ordinance creating a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was first called for by the 2006 peace accords that ended the decades long conflict. However, the ordinance was prepared without input

IACtHR Swears in New Judges, Hears Cases on Range of Issues during Ongoing 98th Session

February 6, 2013 IJRC children, crime & impunity, due process & judicial protection, environmental rights, extrajudicial executions, human rights defenders, Inter-American System, international human rights, judicial independence, labor rights, property, reparations, torture

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) is holding its 98th Ordinary Session from February 4 through February 15, 2013 at its seat in San José, Costa Rica. [IACtHR Press Release (Spanish)] During this session, the Court will hear evidence and legal arguments from the parties in six cases pending before it, preside over private hearings on States’ compliance with three previous judgments,

Developments in Sri Lanka, Honduras Cause Concern for Judicial Independence

January 10, 2013 IJRC domestic courts, due process & judicial protection, Inter-American System, international human rights, judicial independence, UN Special Procedures

Recent developments in Honduras and Sri Lanka have caused concern among civil society and human rights monitoring bodies for the judiciary’s independence in those countries. In Honduras, the National Congress removed four of the five justices who sit on the Constitutional Chamber of the nation’s Supreme Court. According to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Honduran Congress ousted the justices due to their