Nov 6, 2015 | Адвокаси, Новости, Статьи, Юридические заявления
МКЮ представила вмешательство третьей стороны по делу Багирова против Азербайджане перед Европейским судом по правам человека.
В настоящем представлении МКЮ указывает на то, что особая роль адвокатов в процессе отправления правосудия, предусмотренная принципом верховенства права, предполагает, что они должны иметь возможность выполнять важные профессиональные обязанности в отсутствие необоснованных ограничений, что требует тщательной проверки любых используемых ограничений, в том числе относительно высказываний, которые адвокаты делают за пределами суда.
МКЮ также отмечает, что роль и обязанности адвокатов с точки зрения обнародования информации по общественно значимым вопросам, связанным с судебной системой, не ограничивается замечаниями по конкретным делам, которые они ведут.
Кроме того, такие замечания пользуются повышенной защитой по статье 10 Европейской Конвенции.
МКЮ считает, что критические замечания адвокатов в отношении действий (бездействия) государственных органов, несущих ответственность за содержание под стражей лица, которому были причинены увечья или смерть которого наступила, пока оно находилось под контролем данных органов, должны изначально рассматриваться как формы выражения мнения, которые пользуются юридической защитой, если не будет доказано, что они являются недобросовестными, а дисциплинарное производство в отношении адвокатов может возбуждаться только при условии всестороннего соблюдения гарантий защиты от необоснованного применения несоразмерного взыскания.
Azerbaijan-Bagirov v Azerbaijan-Advocacy-legal submission-2015-RUS (полный текст, русский)
Oct 21, 2015
Today, the ICJ jointly with the AIRE Centre, ECRE and ILGA-Europe submitted a third-party intervention in the case of O.M. v. Hungary before the European Court of Human Rights.
The case arose from the immigration detention in Hungary of an asylum-seeker who had fled from his country of origin, Iran, because of his homosexuality. He was detained for nearly two months before eventually being recognized as a refugee.
In their written submissions to the European Court of Human Rights, the interveners focussed on:
- the relevance of the EU asylum acquis, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, as amended by its 1967 Protocol, to the determination of the scope and content of Contracting Parties’ obligations under Art 5(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights; and
- the Contracting Parties’ obligation under the European Convention on Human Rights to take account of the particular risks that the detention of asylum-seekers entails, including, in particular, when deciding to detain those asylum-seekers who might have been exposed to abuse and/or may risk violence and discrimination on account of their sexual orientation while in detention.
Hungary- ECtHR OM v Hungary – advocacy – legal-submissions-2015-ENG
Oct 19, 2015
The ICJ submission on international law concerns Bulat Baityakov, practicing in Kazakhstan, convicted of slander of a judge and sentenced to a one year of restriction of liberty because of the arguments he presented in written submissions and in court, acting in his role as a lawyer.
The submission sets out relevant international human rights law and standards concerning the role of judges, the role of lawyers, and freedom of expression.
The ICJ concluded, that criminally prosecuting and convicting lawyers for presenting, in the course of legal arguments, allegations of judicial misconduct, particularly where there is a finding the allegations were presented in good faith and lawyers substantiate the allegations by evidence, clearly constitutes a serious interference with freedom of expression, with the role of lawyers in zealously defending the interests of their clients, and with the role of lawyers in seeking to ensure integrity of the judicial system.
Contact:
Róisín Pillay, Director, Europe Programme, roisin.pillay(a)icj.org
Temur Shakirov, Legal Adviser, Europe Programme, temur.shakirov(a)icj.org
Kazakhstan-Baityakov-legal opinion-Advocacy-legal submission-2015-ENG (full text in PDF, English)
Kazakhstan-Baityakov-legal opinion-Advocacy-legal submission-2015-RUS (full text in PDF, Russian)
Oct 19, 2015 | Адвокаси, Юридические заявления
Настоящее представление по вопросам международного права подаётся по делу Булата Байтьякова, юриста из Республики Казахстан, осуждённого за клевету в отношении судьи и приговорённого к одному году ограничения свободы за доводы, которые он привёл в жалобах и в ходе судебного заседания, выступая в качестве представителя ответчика.
Настоящее представление содержит обзор относимого международного права в области прав человека и стандартов, связанных с ролью судей, ролью юристов и свободой выражения мнения.
МКЮ заключила, что привлечение юристов к уголовной ответственности и их осуждение за заявления о допущенных судьями нарушениях, приведённые в состязательных документах, в особенности при наличии вывода суда о том, что данные заявления были сделаны добросовестно и юристы приводят доказательства в их обоснование, явно является серьёзным вмешательством в свободу выражения мнения, в такие функции юристов, как ревностная защита интересов клиентов и стремление обеспечить высокие моральные качества судей.
Контакты:
Роушин Пиллей, директор Региональной программы МКЮ по Европе, roisin.pillay(a)icj.org
Тимур Шакиров, правовой советник Региональной программы МКЮ по Европе, temur.shakirov(a)icj.org
Kazakhstan-Baityakov-legal opinion-Advocacy-legal submission-2015-RUS (полный текст на русском, PDF)
Oct 2, 2015 | News
The ICJ is concerned at the recent disbarment of lawyer Andriy Vishnevsky, Director of the Coordination Centre of Legal Aid of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
The ICJ considers that his disbarment, which resulted from his public comments critical of the Ukrainian bar association, interferes with his capacity to freely discharge his professional functions as a lawyer.
Furthermore, it constitutes a violation of his right to freedom of expression, and risks unduly constraining lawyers in legitimate participation in public debate.
The ICJ calls on the Ukrainian bar association to reinstate Andriy Vishnevsky to the bar so that he can resume his status as an accredited lawyer.
Andriy Vishnevky was disbarred on 10 September, following a hearing before the Qualification-Disciplinary Commission of Kiev Region Advokatura. Disciplinary proceedings were initiated based on two separate complaints: one submitted by the Ukrainian national bar association on 24 June 2015; and the other by Ukrainian Parliament Member Rybalka S.V. on 22 June 2015.
The complainants alleged that Andriy Vishnevsky “humiliated the bar, every lawyer, destroyed respect of the society to the bar in the State, in contradiction with the European standards”.
They cited his comments made at a conference on 15 June 2015 at the premises of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, where he presented his report “The bar and free legal aid: approaches to the reform”.
He made a number of comments critical of the legal profession.
These included his assessment that the bar association was “in a dire state”; a reference to “low ethical standards and professional level of the bar”, including that lawyers are “the main corruption element”; and a claim that “the phenomenon of police lawyers is not counteracted by the national bar association and not commented upon in any way”.
The decision quoted him as saying that “if the bar is not reformed as soon as possible in accordance with the principles and standards of the Council of Europe, it can become a hindrance to the implementation of the judicial reform”.
The Disciplinary Chamber came to the decision that the statements of Andriy Vishnevsky were contrary to the law and the Code of Lawyers’ Ethics and that he should therefore be disbarred for the statements made during the conference.
The ICJ considers the Chamber’s decision to contravene fundamental and universal principles on the independence of the legal profession.
If applied generally, this interpretation of the Code of Ethics would effectively prevent lawyers from critically debating the governance of the legal profession.
The UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers provide that while lawyers should “maintain the honour and dignity of their profession as essential agents of justice” they, like other persons, “shall have the right to take part in public discussion of matters concerning the law, the administration of justice and the promotion and protection of human rights.”
The right to freedom of expression is protected in international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, treaties to which Ukraine is a party.
Under the European Convention on Human Rights, where matters of public interest are discussed there is a particularly narrow scope for restriction of freedom of expression.
Disciplinary action against a lawyer, solely on the grounds of comments critical of the bar association, made at a conference convened to debate aspects of the justice system, amounts to an illegitimate interference with freedom of expression.
The ICJ is concerned that such punitive measures are likely to have a chilling effect on freedom of expression of lawyers in Ukraine and in particular on their ability to engage in debate on reform of the justice system.
It is important, for any justice system, that such debate take place with the active participation of the legal profession, as lawyers are amongst those best placed to identify and criticize the deficiencies of the justice system and make informed proposals for reform.
The ICJ calls on the Ukrainian bar association to reinstate Andriy Vishnevsky as a lawyer.
Furthermore, the ICJ recommends that the interpretation of the Code of Ethics should be reviewed and guidance should be issued to ensure that the Code of Ethics is not applied to stifle public debate among lawyers on ways to reform the justice system in Ukraine.
Contact:
Róisín Pillay, Director, Europe Programme, roisin.pillay(a)icj.org
Temur Shakirov, Legal Adviser, Europe Programme, temur.shakirov(a)icj.org
The full statement with background information can be downloaded here:
Ukraine-Lawyer Vishnevsky statement-News-web story-2015-ENG (in PDF)
Ukraine-Lawyer Vishnevsky statement-News-web story-2015-UKR (Ukrainian version, in PDF)
