Oct 9, 2014
The ICJ has submitted information to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in preparation for the Committee’s examination of the initial periodic report of Uganda under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
During its pre-sessional working group meeting in December 2014, the Committee will adopt a ‘List of Issues’ for the examination in June 2015 of the initial periodic report of Uganda under ICESCR.
In this submission, the ICJ draws the Committee’s attention to the detrimental impact of the adoption and enforcement of the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2014, as well as the effect of pre-existing and extant criminalization of consensual same-sex sexual conduct on the respect for and the protection and realization of certain Covenant rights.
The organization considers that those laws violate the following Covenant rights of Uganda’s population generally, and in particular of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, living or working in Uganda:
- The principle of non-discrimination (article 2(2));
- The right to work (article 6) and to just and favourable conditions of work (article 7);
- The right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate housing (article 11);
- The right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (article 12);
- The right to education (article 13).
Uganda-CESCR_LOI-legalsubmission-2014-ENG
Aug 2, 2014 | Multimedia items, News, Video clips
Women judges, lawyers and human rights defenders from across Africa participated in ICJ Colloquia on “Women Lawyers and Human Rights Defenders: Challenges and Opportunities” on 30 and 31 July in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
The colloquia were hosted in collaboration and partnership with the Gender Committee of the SADC Lawyers Association, the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
It enabled over 40 women lawyers, human rights defenders and judges to come together to identify the challenges faced by women lawyers and human rights defenders and elaborate action steps.
Discussions also addressed the role of the judiciary in advancing gender equality, women’s access to justice and protection of women human rights defenders.
The Colloquia are part of an ICJ multi-year initiative on women judges, lawyers and human rights defenders as agents of change.
Interviews:
Justice Martha Koome (Kenya)
Justice Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza (Uganda)
Doo Aphane (Swaziland)
Jane Serwanga (Kenya)
Jul 25, 2014 | News
The ICJ condemned today the sentence imposed on Thulani Rudolph Maseko and Bheki Makhubu following their conviction on two counts of contempt of court
Jul 18, 2014 | News
The ICJ is appalled by the decision of the High Court in Swaziland to convict Thulani Rudolph Maseko and Bheki Makhubu on contempt of court charges.
Jun 15, 2014
The ICJ has made a stakeholder submission for the second cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Lesotho’s compliance with international human rights.
In January/February 2015, the Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the UPR will consider the situation of human rights in Lesotho. Ahead of the Working Group’s review, the ICJ has made a submission in which it has identified suggested recommendations concerning:
- The competence, independence and impartiality of the judiciary;
- The right to freedom from torture and other ill-treatment; and
- Lesotho’s party status to and engagement with international human rights instruments and mechanisms.
The recommendations of the UPR Working Group will be considered, alongside Lesotho’s acceptance or otherwise of those recommendations, during the Human Rights Council’s 29th regular session in June 2015.
Lesotho-UPR21-ICJStakeholderSubmission-LegalSubmission-2014 (download the ICJ’s stakeholder submission, in PDF)
