Jul 11, 2008
Despite political progress towards a democratic state based on the rule of law, ongoing violence has hampered the effectiveness of the judicial system.
A new Transitional Constitution providing for the independence of the judiciary was promulgated on 4 April 2003. However, the judiciary’s situation is still worrying, since impunity is the norm, and corruption and interference by the executive are widespread.
In 2003 and 2004, 1,700 magistrates were intermittently on strike demanding the effective independence of the judiciary. Attacks against lawyers have continued to occur regularly.
Democratic Republic of Congo-Attacks on Justice 2005-Publications-2008 (full text, PDF)
Jul 11, 2008
After the end of a devastating civil war which began in 1991, the task of rebuilding an effective judiciary in Sierra Leone started with a focus on its geographic extension.
Apr 29, 2008
The ICJ in its intervention of 19 March 2008 regretted that violence has erupted again in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), following last year’s election.
Of particular concern are the massive and systematic human rights violations taking place in the East of the country, in Kivu, which have been committed by militias, rebel forces and the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC).
The ICJ supported the renewal of the mandate of the Independent Expert, to assist the Government in preventing further violations, resolving the problem of impunity and bringing the military tribunal system into conformity with international standards and with the Constitution.
Democratic Republic of the Congo-ICJ Intervention in the Interactive Dialogue-Open letters-2008 (full text, PDF)
Apr 26, 2008 | News
In the past three weeks alone there have been reports of wide scale and systematic violence (including cases of torture) of supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in post election political retribution.
The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors of Human Rights (ZADHR) reported treating over 452 people who had been assaulted or tortured by militias operating with the acquiescence of the state security agents or together with such agents.
At least 10 people are known to have also been extra judicially executed in politically motivated violence perpetrated by the governing party, ZANU-PF. Thousands have been internally displaced and remain without access to adequate food and other social necessities.
Zimbabwe-gravitates towards chaos-Press releases-2008 (full text, PDF)
Mar 13, 2008 | News
The ICJ has written to the Zimbabwe Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, expressing serious concern about recent developments which threaten to undermine the independence of lawyers.
