The American Association for the International Commission of Jurists has traditionally been devoted to the doctrine that the Supremacy of the International Rule of Law, coupled with an Independent Judiciary, is the best guarantee of Human Freedom.
After the seminar in Dar es Salaam some participants suggested that it might be useful if a mission comprising one of the leading African participants with a representative of the ICJ were to visit the countries from which the participants came.
The purpose would be to discuss with the relevant authorities and with some of the participants both the existing implementation and the possible further implementation of the conclusions of the seminar.
Mr. Justice F.M. Chomba, then a Judge of the Supreme Court of Zambia and formerly the Investigator-General of Zambia, kindly agreed to lead such a mission. He was accompanied by Mr. Hans Thoolen, the Executive Secretary of the ICJ. The purpose of this mission was to provide an opportunity for constructive discussion in the countries from which the participants came on the implementation of the Dar es Salaam recommendations.
The report focuses on:
Dar es salaam-human rights rule of law-seminar follow up mission-1978-eng (full text in English, PDF)
The ICJ supports the demand of the South African Institute for Race Relations for the appointment of an independent commission of inquiry to examine a ll aspects of detention without trial in South Africa.
It also urges that the mandate of the commission include an examination o f the practices with respect to, and the conditions of detention of young children.
The evidence of children in detention includes:
There is also a supplement to the special report of July 1978 prepared by the ICJ. The figures reveal that as of June 23, 1978, a total of 806 persons were being detained in South Africa, including 31 children under the age of 18, and 169 school pupils.
South Africa-detention children-report-1978-eng (full text in English, PDF)
The activities of the International Commission of Jurists in the six years 1971-1977 have continued to be directed on the one hand to the positive promotion of human rights and their legal protection and on the other to the study and publicising of violations of human rights and the Rule of Law. This reports contains a brief account under subject headings of the more important activities under both aspects of the work. Detailed summaries of the different kinds of activity will be;found in the appendices.
annual report 1971 1977-1978-eng (full text in English, PDF)
Three years after the military coup d’état, arbitrary detention of individuals continue to give cause for concern. These detentions do away with, or endanger, the right to freedom, security, integrity, life, protection from torture, and the right to justice and due process of law.
El Salvador: Crimes against humanity within the framework of public security policy
HRC61: Joint oral statement of The ICJ in the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Counter-terrorism and Human Rights
A Human Rights-Based Approach to Decriminalizing Conduct Associated with Poverty and Status
HRC61: Oral statement of The ICJ in the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities