The ICJ today called upon the Bahrain authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, an internationally renowned human rights defender.
Read the 62nd issue of ICJ’s monthly newsletter on proposed and actual changes in counter-terrorism laws, policies and practices and their impact on human rights at the national, regional and international levels.
The ICJ is pleased with the decision of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights that parental sexual orientation is not a factor in child custody cases.
On 20 March the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that parental sexual orientation is not a factor in child custody cases and that Chile had violated Karen Atala’s rights to equality, non-discrimination and privacy when the Supreme Court of Chile removed custody of her three daughters from her because she had begun a relationship with another woman.
In its first sexual orientation case, the Court held that sexual orientation is a protected ground, included under “other social condition” in Article 1 of the American Convention on Human Rights.
The Court further stated that the best interests of the child test could not be used as a pretext for prohibited discrimination in custody cases.
The Court also found that the Supreme Court of Chile’s reliance on stereotypes and prejudices was a violation of the State’s obligation to protect rights. Finally, the Court stated that the American Convention did not protect a specific form of traditional family and that states must recognize diverse family structures.
The International Commission of Jurists was called by the Inter-American Commission as an expert and submitted written and oral testimony on the role of parental sexual orientation as a factor in child custody cases.
Decision:
(http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/casos/articulos/seriec_239_esp.pdf)
(https://www.icj.org/dwn/database/Jernow%20Written%20Submission.pdf)
The ICJ and Justice for Peace Foundation (JPF) held a multi-stakeholder roundtable dialogue on women’s access to justice in Bangkok, Thailand on 19 and 20 March 2012.
The event marked an important stage in the ongoing ICJ-JPF initiative on women’s access to justice in Thailand.
It convened a group of experts from accross Thailand to discuss and review a draft ICJ-JPF report on the obstacles to justice women continue to face in Thailand.
Participants included women human rights defenders, lawyers, representatives of NGOs and academic experts.
When released the ICJ-JPF will capture and explore the accounts of barriers received from stakeholders accross Thailand through extensive field research accross the country during 2011.
It will identify a series of responsive recommendations endorsed by roundtable participants.
The ICJ is concerned at the lack of transparency in the process, which could undermine universal human rights standards.
The ICJ today condemned the misrepresentation of international human rights law by some member States of the UN Human Rights Council.
Qatar: States urged to ensure access to justice for women and girls with disabilities
End the judicial persecution of human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha
Tunisia: Conviction of Ebru Timtik Award Laureate Ahmed Souab marks escalating repression of lawyers
ICJ Honored for Championing Refugee and Migrant Justice Worldwide