Feb 19, 2016
The ICJ, with other NGOs, today published comments on the proposed EU counter-terrorism Directive, which addresses the “foreign fighters” phenomenon.
The briefing paper analyses the compliance of the proposed Directive with international law, including international human rights law.
In particular, it raises concerns regarding the wide definition of terrorism, and the inclusion of broadly-defined offences of participation in the activities of a terrorist group, public provocation to commit a terrorist offence, receiving training for terrorism, and travelling abroad for terrorism.
The paper makes recommendations for amendment to the text to guard against arbitrary or discriminatory interference with human rights in the implementation of such offences, and to ensure compliance with the principle of legality.
EU-Directive terrorism-Advocacy-Analysis Brief-2016-ENG (full text, in PADF)
Feb 18, 2016 | Доклад миссии установления фактов, Доклады, Новости, Публикации, Статьи
Сегодня МКЮ опубликовала окончательный текст доклада, посвящённого реформе адвокатуры в Кыргызской Республике и созданию единой ассоциации адвокатов.
В докладе представлены замечания МКЮ и изложены рекомендации по вопросам, которым необходимо уделить первоочередное внимание в ходе реформы.
«Решение данных вопросов позволит заложить фундамент сильной адвокатуры в Кыргызстане с учётом международного права и стандартов, касающихся независимости юристов», – отметила Роушин Пиллей, директор Региональной программы МКЮ по Европе.
В докладе приветствуется формирование единой Адвокатуры, что является важной вехой как для адвокатов, так и для системы правосудия в целом, поскольку адвокаты играют важнейшую роль с точки зрения поддержания верховенства права и защиты прав человека в любой системе правосудия.
В то же время, в докладе отмечается, что создание соответствующей правовой и институциональной базы является лишь первым шагом на пути к созданию независимой и самоуправляемой адвокатуры, которая сможет обеспечить высокие моральные качества и профессионализм своих членов.
МКЮ подчеркнула значение происходящего, а также привилегированное положение адвокатов, которые вошли в состав руководства новой Адвокатуры.
«Именно видение и действия этих людей определяют будущее кыргызской адвокатуры», – добавила Роушин Пиллей.
Доклад подготовлен по итогам миссии МКЮ в Кыргызскую Республику, которая была организована в сентябре 2015 года для оценки, исследования и анализа реформы с точки зрения функционирования юридической профессии. Представители МКЮ провели встречи с различными представителями Адвокатуры, включая членов Совета Адвокатуры и её органов, таких как Комиссия по этике, Комитет по защите прав адвокатов и Законодательный комитет Адвокатуры.
Вместе с Учебным центром адвокатуры МКЮ провела «круглый стол» с участием адвокатов, а также встретилась с представителями прокуратуры и судебных органов.
Kyrgyzstan-New Advokatura-News-Web Story-2016-RUS (история на русском, PDF)
Kyrgyzstan-New Advokatura-Publications-Reports-Fact Finding Mission Report-2016-RUS (доклад на русском, PDF)
Feb 18, 2016
Today the ICJ published a final report on the reform of the legal profession in the Kyrgyz Republic and creation of a unified bar association.
The report sets out the ICJ’s observations and provides recommendations on the issues that should be addressed as a matter of priority in the course of the reform.
“Resolving these issues will lay the foundations for a strong Kyrgyz legal profession based on international law and standards on the independence of lawyers,” said Róisín Pillay, ICJ Europe Programme Director.
The report welcomes the establishment of a unified Advokatura as an important step both for lawyers and the whole justice system as lawyers play an essential role in any legal system in upholding the rule of law and protecting human rights.
However, the report notes that the establishment of a legal and institutional framework is only the first step in creating an independent, self-regulated profession capable of ensuring integrity and high professional standards.
The ICJ stresses the importance of the momentum as well as the privileged position of lawyers who became the leadership of the new Advokatura.
“It is the vision and actions of these people that will shape the future of the legal profession in the country,” Róisín Pillay added.
The report is based on the ICJ’s mission to the Kyrgyz Republic in September 2015, organized to assess, examine and analyze the reform in terms of the functioning of the legal profession.
An ICJ team met with various representatives of the Advokatura, including members of the Council of the Advokatura and the Advokatura’s constituent bodies, such as the Ethics Commission, the Committee to Protect the Rights of Advocates and the Legislation Committee of Advokatura.
The ICJ, in cooperation with the Training Centre of Advokatura, held a round table discussion with lawyers and held meetings with members of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary.
Kyrgyzstan-New Advokatura-News-Web Story-2016-RUS (Story in Russian, PDF)
Kyrgyzstan-New Advokatura-Publications-Reports-Fact Finding Mission Report-2016-ENG (Report in English, PDF)
Kyrgyzstan-New Advokatura-Publications-Reports-Fact Finding Mission Report-2016-RUS (Report in Russian, PDF)
Feb 9, 2016
Today, the ICJ intervened before the European Court of Human Rights in two cases against the United Kingdom challenging the compliance of mass surveillance programmes with the European Convention on Human Rights.
The ICJ submitted third party interventions in the cases Big Brother Watch and others v. the United Kingdom and Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Alice Ross v. the United Kingdom.
In its interventions, the ICJ addressed:
- the scope of the rights to privacy and freedom of expression within the meaning of articles 8 and 10 ECHR and of their limitations in relation to metadata;
- the attribution of State responsibility under international law for Convention violations caused via mass or ‘bulk’ surveillance programmes, in particular those involving the gathering of metadata and the related positive obligations of states, and
- the application of the Convention to the extra-territorial dimensions of mass surveillance programmes on the enjoyment of these rights.
UK-ICJ-AmicusBrief-BBW&others-ECtHR-legalsubmission-2016 (download the intervention in BBW and others v UK)
UK-ICJ-AmicusBrief-BIJ&Ross-ECtHR-legalsubmission-2016 (download the intervention in BIJ and Ross v UK)
Feb 2, 2016
The report, published today, assesses the current state of the independence and accountability of the Serbian judiciary and prosecution service, and, in particular, the self-governance of the two professions under the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutors’ Council.
Following ICJ’s visit to Serbia on 26-30 October 2015, the report Serbia’s judges and prosecutors: the long road to independent self-governance concludes that a culture of dependency from the Executive still exists in the Serbian judiciary and that the system is affected by a stress of reform, due to the continued introduction of new judicial reforms without proper implementation.
The ICJ considers that the self-governance of the judiciary and of the prosecution service, entrusted respectively to the High Judicial Council and to the State Prosecutorial Council, is relatively weak.
The ICJ mission has identified considerable shortcomings in these bodies, including:
- excessive dependence in practice on the political branches of government;
- lack of effective procedures and of sufficient will in the Councils to defend the independence, autonomy and professional integrity of their professions and of individual judges and prosecutors;
- appointment, selection and dismissal procedures open to direct and indirect political influence;
- lack of effective procedures of evaluation of the work of judges and prosecutors;
- misuse of such procedures to impose conformity in decisions;
- a strong hierarchical system in the prosecution service and, in practice, in the judiciary, that undermines internal independence and risks undermining independence of investigations and prosecutions.
The mission, aimed to assess the situation of self-governance of the judiciary and of the prosecutorial service at a critical juncture in their development, took place in the context of the ICJ’s global objective to advance the effective administration of justice and the independence of judges and lawyers.
Serbia-Long Road to Indep Self-Gov-Publications-Reports- Fact-Finding Mission Report-2016-ENG (full report in PDF, English)
Serbia-Long Road to Indep Self-Gov-Publications-Reports- Fact-Finding Mission Report-2016-SER (full report in PDF, Serbian)
