International Justice Resource Center

European Court Finds Georgia Plea Bargain Procedure Compatible with Human Rights Convention, Despite “Shady Factual Circumstances”

May 13, 2014 IJRC due process & judicial protection, European System

In a judgment released on April 29, the European Court of Human Rights examined the compatibility of a plea bargain procedure with the fair trial protections of the European Convention on Human Rights. See ECtHR, Natsvlishvili and Togonidze v. Georgia, no. 9043/05, Judgment of 29 April 2014. This Chamber decision marks the first case in which the European Court has analyzed in detail any

African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Holds 55th Ordinary Session in Angola

May 7, 2014 IJRC African System

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) opened its 55th Ordinary Session on April 28, 2014 in Luanda, Angola. During this session, which continues through May 12, the Commission is scheduled to discuss the human rights situation in Africa, consider State reports, and hear activity reports from members of the Commission and its special mechanisms. [ACHPR]

Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Adopts First General Comments, on Legal Recognition and Accessibility

April 30, 2014 IJRC discrimination, persons with disabilities, UN treaty bodies

During its eleventh session earlier this month, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) adopted general comments on Article 12 (equal recognition before the law) and Article 9 (accessibility) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. [OHCHR] These two texts are the first general comments adopted by the CRPD. See CRPD, General Comment No.

Join the Conversation: Engaging with Regional Human Rights Mechanisms

April 18, 2014 IJRC African System, civil society, European System, human rights defenders, IJRC Updates, Inter-American System, regional human rights protection

Join the International Justice Resource Center and the New Tactics community for an online conversation on Engaging Regional Human Rights Mechanisms from April 21 to 25, 2014. IJRC’s executive director, Lisa Reinsberg, will join experts and practitioners from around the world in discussing the practical details of seeking justice, accountability, and reform through the regional human rights systems.

UN General Assembly Approves Resolution to Strengthen Human Rights Treaty Body System

April 16, 2014 IJRC civil society, UN General Assembly, UN treaty bodies

During its 68th Session, the United Nations General Assembly last week approved a resolution intended to strengthen the UN human rights treaty body system. The measures and changes called for by the General Assembly seek to improve treaty bodies’ ability to effectively and efficiently monitor States’ implementation of human rights conventions. [OHCHR] This resolution is the next step in the treaty

UN Human Rights Committee Invites Feedback on Draft General Comment No. 35 on the Rights to Liberty and Security of Person

April 14, 2014 IJRC civil society, due process & judicial protection, international human rights, international humanitarian law, liberty & security of person, security & rule of law, UN treaty bodies

During its 110th session last month, the United Nations Human Rights Committee concluded its first reading of Draft General Comment No. 35 on Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the right to liberty and security of person, including the freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention. The Committee invites interested stakeholders to submit

African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights Issues Judgment in Killing of Investigative Journalist

April 8, 2014 IJRC African System, due process & judicial protection, labor rights, liberty & security of person, right to life, thought, expression & association

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights recently delivered four judgments, including a noteworthy decision in the case of the Beneficiaries of the Late Norbert Zongo and others v. Burkina Faso. [AfCHPR] The Court rendered its decisions during its 32nd Ordinary Session, held in from March 10 to 28 at the Court’s seat in Arusha, Tanzania.

IACtHR Hears Cases involving Forced Disappearance, Indigenous Land Rights, Torture, and Violence Against Women in its 50th Special Session

April 7, 2014 IJRC children, crime & impunity, due process & judicial protection, enforced disappearance, indigenous communities, Inter-American System, interim measures, liberty & security of person, property, torture, women's rights

From March 31 to April 4, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights celebrated its 50th Special Session at its headquarters in San José, Costa Rica. The Court held public hearings on three pending cases concerning forced disappearance, indigenous land rights, and torture in arbitrary detention. The Court also conducted private deliberations to prepare its judgment in a case concerning the

UN Human Rights Council Focuses Attention on Promoting and Protecting Human Rights Defenders, Civil Society Space, and Peaceful Protest during 25th Regular Session

April 4, 2014 IJRC civil society, human rights defenders, international human rights, thought, expression & association, UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Procedures

During its 25th regular session last month, the UN Human Rights Council undertook several measures to address the challenges and risks faced by human rights defenders and other civil society actors. On March 11, it held a panel discussion to analyze the factors that reduce civil society space and to evaluate strategies to promote an interactive partnership between States and