Apr 2, 2009 | News
The ICJ welcomed the decision of President Obama’s administration to seek a seat on the UN Human Rights Council.
A reversal of the Bush administration’s decision to disengage from the Council came at the right time, as the Council continues to grapple with some of the most pressing human rights situations and concerns.
United States–US decision to run for membership reaffirms-web story-2009 (full text, PDF)
Mar 27, 2009 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ intervention focuses on aspects of the Security Bill and the Law Decree which give rise to particular human rights concerns.
Mar 20, 2009 | News
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)
Mar 13, 2009 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ urged all Governments to review and repeal laws and policies on operations of intelligence services in countering terrorism that had served to deprive victims of their right to an effective remedy and reparation.
The call was made in interaction with the UN Special Rapporteur.
ICJ intervention in the interactive dialogue-non-legal submission-2009 (full text, PDF)
Mar 10, 2009 | News
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)