The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, human rights advocates, and some States are publicly supporting the creation of an expert committee to more fully investigate and address the human rights situation in North Korea. Recent reports by victims have revealed shocking allegations, but relatively little is known about the extent of suspected abuses, given the
Read moreSearch Results for: international criminal law
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia Commences its Final Trial
The final case pending before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) involves Goran Hadžić, the former president of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina, who is indicted for persecution and murder of non-Serbs, as well as unlawful imprisonment, torture, inhumane acts, cruel treatment, forcible transfer, deportation and wanton destruction, and plunder of private or public property. Hadžić was
Read moreThe Gambia Suspends Executions after International Outcry
President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia announced on September 15 that he will be suspending further executions of death row inmates. [BBC] In August, President Jammeh had unexpectedly announced all of the remaining forty-eight prisoners on death row would be executed by September, ending the country’s over twenty-five year old moratorium on executions. [BBC] The following Sunday, nine prisoners were executed
Read moreTraining: The International Human Rights Framework – Opportunities for Attorneys + Advocates (Boston)
This training seminar is designed to familiarize attorneys and advocates with the opportunities for enhanced rights promotion and protection offered by the international human rights framework. Date: May 18, 2012 Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Location: NonProfit Center, 89 South Street, Boston, MA Whether in individual representation or as part of broader campaigns for reform, incorporating international norms and
Read moreICC Turns Ten: May 11 Conference to Assess Impact, Challenges Ahead for Criminal Court
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the Rome Statute and the creation of the International Criminal Court. An upcoming conference, ICC Turns Ten: Reviewing the Past, Assessing the Future, will gather a number of leading scholars and practitioners to examine the impact of the ICC’s first decade and discuss the challenges ahead. The conference will be
Read moreThe Khmer Rouge Tribunal: Cambodia’s Pursuit of Justice Has Value and Merit, Despite Flaws
Christopher “Kip” Hale contributes this guest post, the second in a two-part look at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. Mr. Hale is Senior Counsel at the American Bar Association (ABA) Center for Human Rights. Previously, he was a prosecuting attorney in the Office of the Co-Prosecutors at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, and has
Read moreNew Members Elected to International Law Commission
Last week, the United Nations General Assembly elected new members to the International Law Commission (ILC), a United Nations body charged with promoting “the progressive development of international law and its codification”. The International Law Commission, which was created by the General Assembly and began its work in 1949, is composed of thirty-four individual expert members of distinct nationalities who identify and
Read moreEuropean Commission Proposes Directive on Right to Counsel in Criminal Proceedings
The European Commission has issued the third in a series of proposals for European Parliament and Council directives to set “common minimum standards on the rights of suspects and accused persons in criminal proceedings throughout the European Union”, pursuant to a European Council resolution adopted in November 2009, and part of the Stockholm Programme. Council Resolution 15434/09, Roadmap for Strengthening Procedural Rights
Read moreLearn about the International Human Rights Framework
The primary aim of IJRC’s online resource hub is to assist victims of human rights abuses, students, lawyers and human rights defenders to effectively research international human rights standards and keep informed of legal developments. This section allows visitors to learn about the following features of the international human rights system: Overview of the Human Rights Framework: on the history and functions of
Read moreFollowing Return from Exile, Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier Facing Criminal and Civil Liability for Fraud and Human Rights Abuses
Following the unexpected return of former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude (“Baby Doc”) Duvalier to Port-au-Prince earlier this month after 25 years in exile, the former President for Life is facing criminal prosecution on fraud charges and several civil suits alleging human rights abuses and crimes against humanity, committed during his 15-year rule. [Democracy Now!; Guardian] Calls for Duvalier’s prosecution came as soon as
Read more