ICJ list of issues submission on Venezuela to UN Human Rights Committee

Jul 25, 2014

The ICJ today submitted to the Human Rights Committee information in preparation for the Committee’s examination of the fourth periodic report of Venezuela under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

During its session in October 2014, the Human Rights Committee will adopt a List of Issues for the examination in July 2015 of the fourth periodic report of the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela under the ICCPR. In a joint submission with the Human Rights Institute of the International Bar Association, the ICJ raised issues and suggested questions to be put to the Government of Venezuela concerning:

• Current practices for the appointment and removal of judges that undermine the independence and impartiality of the courts;
• Inadequate guarantees for lawyers that impede their ability to defend and uphold the rights of their clients; and
• Lack of safeguards for the proper discharge of prosecutorial functions that negatively affect the role of prosecutors in respecting and protecting human rights.

This submission was based on the more detailed findings in recent reports of the ICJ and the Human Rights Institute of the International Bar Association.

Venezuela-HRCtteeLOI-ICJandIBAsubmission-2014 (download  submission to the Human Rights Committee, in PDF)

Go to ICJ webpage on report on key deficiencies in the Venezuelan legal system

Go to IBA webpage on need for reform of Venezuelan justice system