Aug 30, 2014
Today, the ICJ, together with Amnesty International, Friends World Committee for Consultation (Quakers), the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, and War Resisters’ International, submitted an Amicus Curiae opinion to the Constitutional Court of Korea (Republic of Korea).
The interveners submit, among other things, that compulsion to engage in military service contrary to an individual’s conscience or religion or belief constitutes a violation of international human rights law and standards.
Korea-Amicus Opinion-Advocacy-legal submission-2014 (full text in pdf)
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
Jul 23, 2014
The UN Human Rights Council today decided to establish an independent, international commission of enquiry to investigate all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the OPT, including East Jerusalem, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip.
The Human Rights Council’s decision, in its Resolution S-21/1, came at the conclusion of a special session of the Council on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. The ICJ itself called on the establishment of a commission of enquiry, emphasising that certain attacks by the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian armed groups constituted crimes under international law and that all perpetrators must be held to account.
The newly established commission of inquiry will report to the Human Rights Council at its 28th regular session in February-March 2015.
OPT-HRC-SpecialSession-OralStatement-2014 (download ICJ oral statement in PDF)
A-HRC-RES-S-21-1_en (download Human Rights Council Resolution S-21/1 in Word)
Go to webpage on ICJ’s written statement to the Human Rights Council
Jul 22, 2014
The ICJ today presented a statement to the UN Human Rights Council ahead of tomorrow’s special session on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
The Human Rights Council will tomorrow hold its 21st special session following a request from 16 of the Council’s members. Ahead of this session, the ICJ submitted a written statement to the Secretariat of the Human Rights Council.
OPT-HRC-SpecialSession-WrittenStatement-2014 (download written statement in Word)
Jul 1, 2014
On 30 June, the International Commission of Jurists, together with JUSTICE, Amnesty International and REDRESS, filed a third party intervention with the Court of Appeal in the case Abdul-Hakim Belhaj and Other v. Jack Straw and Others.
