Oct 17, 2017 | News
Sir Nigel Rodley, ICJ President, fought tirelessly for human rights in a remarkable career as a jurist spanning more than five decades. You can help the creation of a documentary on his life and achievements.
Human Rights in the Picture, in close collaboration with the Human Rights Centre of Essex University and Docudon Production, hopes to create a documentary on Sir Nigel’s life story and his outstanding achievements to inspire, teach and shape new generations of students and human rights practitioners.
To make this happen, they are asking for help.
Human Rights in the Picture is raising 60.000 euros by crowdfunding in 42 days.
View the teaser of the documentary
For further details, and to make a donation, please see here: www.crowdfundingNigelRodleyfilm.org
Oct 16, 2017 | News
Today, the ICJ holds a seminar in Turkmenistan, on “Comparative perspectives on the role of lawyers”.
The event organized in Ashgabat, with support of the EU Liaison Office in Turkmenistan, provides an important opportunity to discuss the questions of organization of an independent legal profession and the ethics of lawyers in the countries of the EU and Central Asia.
“Along with judges and prosecutors, lawyers are key participants in the administration of justice. Ensuring fair trial rights is intrinsically linked with the right to legal assistance by lawyers who are able to perform their duties independently and with full respect of profession’s ethical standards,” said Temur Shakirov, ICJ Europe Programme Legal Adviser.
“To achieve this they organize themselves through associations of lawyers,” he added.
The workshop takes a comparative approach and looks into the role of lawyers in several jurisdictions, including the organisation of the legal profession as well as the professional standards for lawyers in Germany, Switzerland, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
The speakers will also discuss international standards on the role of lawyers and their ethics.
Gulnora Ishankhanova, an ICJ Commissioner, will represent the ICJ along with other experts, including senior lawyers from the ICJ network.
They will present comparative national perspectives on the role of lawyers in their respective countries, placing them in the context of global and regional standards.
Representatives of lawyers’ associations in Turkmenistan will present the experience of Turkmenistan.
Oct 9, 2017 | Events, News
The ICJ, the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice and Amnesty International invite you today to an event to discuss challenges in prevention of, and accountability for, violations of human rights in the US-led rendition system, and in transfers of suspects in the CIS region.
Join us for a moderated discussion marking the U.S. launch of the International Commission of Jurists’ report, Transnational Injustices: National Security Transfers and International Law.
Panelists will discuss the ongoing practice of states unlawfully rendering people accused of terrorism, particularly in Russia and Central Asia, and explore the extent to which the impact of the CIA’s notorious extraordinary renditions can still be felt today.
When: Monday, October 16, 2017 – 12:45 pm to 2:15 pm
Where: Lester Pollack Colloquium Room – Furman Hall, 9th Floor, NYU School of Law – 245 Sullivan Street, New York City
RSVP here
Refreshments will be served
Speakers:
- Sam Zia-Zarifi, Secretary General, ICJ
- Róisín Pillay, European and CIS Programme Director, ICJ
- Margaret Satterthwaite, JD ’99, Professor of Clinical Law, NYU School of Law
Moderated by Julia Hall, Expert on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights, Amnesty International
A flyer for this event is available in PDF format by clicking here.
Oct 6, 2017 | Advocacy, Cases, Legal submissions
The ICJ and other human rights organisations intervened before the European Court of Human Rights in a case challenging the returns of migrants and refugees from Greece under the EU-Turkey deal.
The ICJ, the AIRE Centre, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles and the Dutch Council for Refugees have submitted a third party intervention before the European Court of Human Rights in the case of J.B. v. Greece. The case concerns the decision of Greek authorities to return a Syrian refugee to Turkey under the legal assumption that Turkey is a safe third country for refugees, that has been introduced following the EU-Turkey deal reached in reaction to the “refugee crisis”.
The interveners challenge the implementation of the rule of safe third country in these situations with regard to Greece’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Specifically, the intervention focuses on:
- The principle of non-refoulement under the ECHR;
- The safe third country concept in international refugee law and EU law;
- The respect of the right to an effective remedy in cases of returns to Turkey under the safe third country rule.
Greece-JB_v_Greece-ECtHR-amicus-ICJ&others-final-eng-2017 (download the intervention)
Oct 5, 2017 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
Today, the ICJ made a submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Azerbaijan.
The submission brings to the attention of the members of the Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the UPR issues concerning:
- Azerbaijan’s legislation governing the legal profession;
- the situation of lawyers in practice;
- the lack independence of the legal profession;
- the role of the Bar Association with regard to attacks on lawyers;
- international human rights instruments.
With respect to each of the above-mentioned concerns, the ICJ calls upon the Working Group on the UPR and the Human Rights Council to make a number of recommendations to the authorities of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan-UPR-Advocacy-non-legal submissions-2017-ENG (download the submission)
