Nov 14, 2016 | Доклад миссии установления фактов, Доклады, Публикации
В докладе, МКЮ обнаруживает, что системные недостатки в адвокатуре в Азербайджане подорвали ее независимость, что привело к преследованию независимых юристов и мешает им играть свою роль в защите прав человека.
В новом докладе Беззащитные защитники: Системные проблемы адвокатуры Азербайджана, опубликованном сегодня на трех языках, заключают, что внутренние проблемы в организации юридической профессии подрывают ее независимость.
Доклад находит, что Ассоциация адвокатов не действует как самоуправляющийся институт адвокатов, который защищает независимость профессии или поддерживает высокие этические нормы.
Его вспомогательные органы не избираются своевременно, и Ассоциация адвокатов не использует инструменты саморегулирования, которые она имеет в своем распоряжении.
У его членов есть серьезные недостатки в прозрачности и подотчетности.
В докладе определены проблемы в процедуре квалификации юристов, которые страдают от отсутствия объективных критериев оценки и привели к большой нехватке юристов в стране.
Дисциплинарная процедура является особенно слабым местом для юристов и злоупотребляется как средство преследования адвокатов.
В докладе представлены многочисленные случаи преследования юристов, что противоречит международному праву и международным стандартам в отношении независимости юридической профессии.
В нем содержатся рекомендации по решению этих проблем на основе анализа международных норм и стандартов в области прав человека.
В нем также подчеркивается, что независимость и роль юристов должны соблюдаться всеми правительственными учреждениями: исполнительными, законодательными и судебными и всеми государственными органами.
В докладе рекомендуется, чтобы Ассоциация адвокатов пересмотрела свою роль управления профессией и должна начать, через процесс консультаций, реформирование, основанное на принципе независимости и высоких этических стандартах профессии.
Процесс квалификации должен обеспечить наличие достаточного числа юристов для соблюдения принципа доступа к правосудию и эффективного средства правовой защиты от нарушений прав человека.
В отношении дисциплинарной процедуры, она должна быть справедливой, объективной и должна быть направлена на поддержку независимости адвокатов в Азербайджане; она не должна использоваться ни для каких целей, кроме обеспечения высоких профессиональных стандартов, честности и независимости адвокатов.
Доклад доступен на русском и азербайджанском:
azerbaijan-systemic-problems-legal-prof-publications-reports-mission-reports-2016-rus (Русский, PDF)
azerbaijan-systemic-problems-legal-prof-publications-reports-mission-reports-2016-aze (Азербайджанский, PDF)
Nov 14, 2016
In a new report published today in three languages, the ICJ finds systemic weaknesses in the legal profession in Azerbaijan have undermined its independence, leading to harassment of independent lawyers and preventing them from playing their role in the protection of human rights.
The report Defenseless Defenders: Systemic Problems in the Legal Profession of Azerbaijan concludes that the internal problems in the organization of the legal profession undermine its independence.
It finds that the Bar Association does not act as a self-governing institution of lawyers that protects the independence of the profession or upholds high ethical standards.
Its subsidiary bodies are not elected in a timely manner and the Bar Association does not use the tools of self-regulation which it has at its disposal.
There are serious failings of transparency and accountability to its members.
The report identifies problems in the qualification procedure for lawyers which suffers from a lack of objective criteria for evaluation and has resulted in an acute shortage of lawyers in the country.
The disciplinary procedure is a particularly weak point for the legal profession and is abused as a means of harassment of lawyers.
The report documents multiple cases of harassment of lawyers, contrary to international law and international standards on the independence of the legal profession.
It makes recommendations to address these problems, based on an analysis of international human rights law and standards.
It also emphasizes that the independence and role of lawyers must be respected by all institutions of government: executive, legislative and judicial, and by all public authorities.
The report recommends that the Bar Association should reconsider its role of the governance of the profession, and should initiate, through a consultation process, a reform based on the principle of independence and high ethical standards of the profession.
The qualification process should ensure that there is a sufficient number of lawyers to uphold the principle of access to justice and an effective remedy for violations of human rights.
In regard to the disciplinary procedure it must be fair, objective and should aim to support the independence of lawyers in Azerbaijan; it should not be used for any purposes other than ensuring high professional standards, integrity and independence of lawyers.
The report is available in Azeri, English and Russian and can be downloaded below.
azerbaijan-systemic-problems-legal-prof-publications-reports-mission-reports-2016-eng (English, PDF)
azerbaijan-systemic-problems-legal-prof-publications-reports-mission-reports-2016-rus (Russian, PDF)
azerbaijan-systemic-problems-legal-prof-publications-reports-mission-reports-2016-aze (Azeri, PDF)
Nov 14, 2016
The ICJ has published a translation of its Practitioner’s Guide N°1 International Principles on the Independence and Accountability of Judges, Lawyers and Prosecutors.
This is the first comprehensive analysis of the existing standards and compilation of universal and regional instruments published in Turkmen.
The Guide outlines the roles to be played by a strong legal profession, an independent judiciary and an impartial and objective prosecuting authority.
Part one of this guide provides an analysis of the law and concrete examples drawn from international practice. Part two includes relevant global and regional standards on the topic.
References to international decisions, reports, texts of treaties and other international standards allow the Guide to be used as a reference book by legal practitioners and policy makers.
Turkmenistan-PG N°1-Publications-Practitioners’ Guide Series-2016-TKM (full guide in Turkmen, PDF)
Nov 14, 2016 | News
The Philippines government must immediately halt its initiative to restore the death penalty to the country after abolishing the practice a decade ago, said the ICJ today.
The ICJ received reports that the Sub-Committee on Judicial Reform of the House of Representatives of the Philippines has commenced hearings on a bill bringing back the death penalty into Philippine domestic laws.
The first hearing reportedly occurred on 8 November 2016.
It took place without adequate notice, preventing important stakeholders from participating or giving input.
“President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration seems to be hell-bent on returning to the bad old days of executing people,” said Sam Zarifi, ICJ’s Asia director.
“Reinstating the death penalty would breach the Philippines’ international legal obligations and would constitute an all-out assault on decades of global advances in protecting the right to life through abolition of this barbarous practice,” he added.
Under international standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, States may not reintroduce the death penalty once it has been abolished.
The ICJ considers that the death penalty constitutes a violation of the right to life and the prohibition on cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.
“There appears to be a deliberate strategy on the part of the House of Representatives to circumvent meaningful consultations and a full debate on this unconscionable measure,” said Zarifi.
“The ramifications on the Philippines’ obligations under international law appear not to have been properly considered by legislators who proposed the measure bringing back the death penalty.”
Until now the Philippines had set an example of regional and global best practice on the abolition of the death penalty.
It abolished the death penalty in 2006 and became the first member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to become party to the 2nd Optional Protocol to the ICCPR on the abolition of the death penalty.
The 2nd Optional Protocol provides for no possibility of denunciation or withdrawal and the Human Rights Committee has affirmed that States Parties may not withdraw from this treaty.
Moreover, the Committee has stressed that under the ICCPR, no abolitionist State may lawfully reintroduce the death penalty under Article 6 on the right to life, whether or not they are party to the 2nd Optional protocol.
“The Philippines Congress must perform its role as an equal branch of the government and stop such a horrific move backwards for the country,” Zarifi added.
“Filipino legislators must question the government as to why it’s even considering such an action, especially at a time when the country is facing an outbreak of extrajudicial executions with apparent government complicity.”
On 31 May 2016, the ICJ wrote to President Rodrigo Duterte underscoring that the death penalty was not only an affront to human rights, but that it had no demonstrable deterrent effect on addressing serious crime.
The ICJ pointed out that investing in improved investigation techniques and capacity, and making other needed reforms to the criminal justice system would be the best way to reduce crime.
Contact:
Emerlynne Gil, ICJ’s Senior International Legal Adviser for Southeast Asia, t: +66840923575 ; e: emerlynne.gil(a)icj.org
Nov 14, 2016
Prime Minister Najib Razak should withdraw proposed amendments to Malaysia’s Legal Profession Act 1976 because they will undermine the independence of the Malaysian Bar and its governing body, the Bar Council, said ICJ today in a letter together with other human rights organizations.
The amendments, which will be introduced when Parliament opens in October, seek to allow the Minister in charge of legal affairs to appoint two members of the Bar Council.
Furthermore, they aim to restrict the eligibility for leadership positions to those elected by the Bar Council by the various State Bars, thereby severely limiting those who can stand for office.
Should these amendments take effect, the current president and vice-president and the leaders of the State Bar committees will be precluded from any leadership role in the Bar Council.
“These amendments appear to be another attempt to muzzle an independent institution that has consistently been vocal in its defense of the rule of law and human rights in the country,” said Sam Zarifi, ICJ’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.
“The Malaysian Bar and its governing body, the Bar Council, are more important than ever to help protect the rights of people and the rule of law, especially during this critical time in Malaysia when these are imperiled,” he added.
The UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (UN Basic Principles) guarantees the right to freedom of association of lawyers.
It specifically provides that “lawyers shall be entitled to form and join self-governing professional associations to represent their interests.” Furthermore, the UN Basic Principles provide that the governing bodies of professional associations of lawyers “shall be elected by its members and shall exercise its functions without external interference.”
“These amendments follow other efforts by the government to undermine the Malaysian Bar’s independence and prevent its members from engaging critically in upholding the standards of professional integrity and independence,” Zarifi said. “This move seems part of the Malaysian government’s efforts to stifle civil society and silence critical voices.”
The ICJ urges the government of Malaysia to respect the independence of the Malaysian Bar and its governing body, the Bar Council, and not pass these proposed amendments to the Legal Profession Act 1976.
The letter to Prime Minister Najib Razak was signed by ICJ, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, International Federation for Human Rights, Civil Rights Defenders, the Asia Democracy Network, Fortify Rights, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, and the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights.
Background
Early this year, Malaysian authorities commenced sedition investigations against members of the Malaysian Bar after a motion was passed by a majority vote during the institution’s 70th Annual General Assembly calling for the resignation of Attorney General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali.
The Malaysian Bar demanded the resignation of the Attorney General after he summarily ended the investigation of alleged corruption by the Prime Minister. A month after, a proposal was made by parliamentarian Datuk Datu Nasrun Datu Mansur to make the Attorney General automatically the chairman of the Bar Council.
The ICJ has denounced these efforts, pointing out that these are inconsistent with the essential guarantees for the functioning of an independent legal profession under the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
Contact
Emerlynne Gil, ICJ’s Senior International Legal Adviser for Southeast Asia, t: +66840923575 ; e: emerlynne.gil(a)icj.org
malaysia-ngo-letter-on-lpa-amend-advocacy-open-letters-2016-eng (full text of letter, in PDF)
