The ICJ condemns the purported abrogation of the constitution in Fiji and the summary dismissal of the entire judiciary under the pretext of establishing a “New Legal Order.”
Fiji-the government should respect rule of law-Press releases-2009 (full text, PDF)
The ICJ welcomes the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry by the Government of Pakistan.
“The reinstatement of the Chief Justice is an historic milestone in reaffirming the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in Pakistan,”said Dato Param Cumaraswamy, ICJ Honorary Commissioner and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges. “It will help restore public and international confidence in the judicial system, but for this to be effective, the Government must ensure functional independence of the judiciary, without any executive interference in the future.”
Pakistan-reinstatemt-chiefjustice-web story-2009 (full text, PDF)
Serious failures in the criminal investigation have denied justice in the case of disappeared Muslim lawyer Somchai Neelapaichit in Thailand, the ICJ said in a new report released today.
The ICJ said there were no signs of concrete progress in bringing the perpetrators to justice and urged the investigators to use all available legal powers to overcome a ‘wall of silence’ in the police and to secure essential evidence.
Thailand-Serious failures in the criminal investigation-Press releases-2009 (full text, PDF)
Link to report of trial obervation mission (in English and Thai)
The ICJ urges the Government of Nepal to ensure that legislation on Disappearances and Truth and Reconciliation are adopted through regular democratic process and not by executive ordinance.
The ICJ also reiterated that adoption of such legislation should follow broad based national consultation and should fulfil Nepal’s human rights obligations.
Nepal-Government should allow parliament to debate-Press releases-2009 (full text, PDF)
Tunisia: Quash sham conviction and sentence of judges’ association President, Anas Hmedi
The UN Human Rights Council makes significant but limited progress in addressing human rights around the world, as atrocities multiply in the Middle East and elsewhere
ICJ hosts an African Regional Convening in Kenya on Transformative Equality Jurisprudence
Russian Federation: Arbitrarily detained human rights lawyer Maria Bontsler must be released