Oct 25, 2011 | News
It was with great sadness that the ICJ learned today of the passing of Professor Antonio Cassese who died this weekend at the age of 74 following a long fight with illness.
Professor Cassese was an Honorary Member of the ICJ having previously served as an ICJ Commissioner between 1995 and 2005. He was a distinguished figure in international justice, serving in a number of significant legal roles, and held the position of Professor of International Law at the University of Florence from 1975 until 2008.
Our thoughts and condolences are with his family.
Oct 14, 2011
In this submission, the ICJ highlights several issues which it considers should be of particular concern to the Committee in its consideration of the periodic reports of Greece.
During its 47th session on 31 October to 25 November 2011, the UN Committee against Torture will undertake an examination of the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Greece. The ICJ has submitted a parallel report to the Committee against Torture, which focusses on the failure of the Greek asylum system, in practice, to comply with the obligations of non-refoulement (as this applies to article 3 of the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment); and at the prevalence of conditions of detention for migrants, as well as living conditions for migrants, that amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in violation of obligations to prevent such treatment under articles 2, 11 and 16 of the Convention.
Oct 12, 2011
This briefing paper addresses the proposal for a Directive on the Right of Access to a Lawyer in Criminal Proceedings and the Right to Communicate Upon Arrest.
The ICJ warmly welcomes the draft Directive, as an important support for effective implementation in EU Member states of the right of access to a lawyer as recognized in international human rights law and standards.
The paper makes recommendations for strengthening the protection offered by the Directive on several points, and responds to comments of the Presidency, and of certain Member States, on the Commission’s draft.
EU directive on the right of access to a laweyer-analysis brief-2011 (full text, PDF)
Oct 11, 2011 | Events
On 29 September, the ICJ, the Maltese NGO “aditus”, and the UNCHR office in Malta organized these trainings with the support of the European Commission Representation in the country.
The trainings targeted stakeholders working with migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, as well as those not working with these groups.
The topics covered included general human rights principles, international refugee law, human rights in Malta, detention of migrants and economic, social and cultural rights. The primary aims of the trainings were to facilitate migrant mainstreaming and the promotion of a rights-based approach to migrant issues.”
Sep 26, 2011 | News
The ICJ is urging the Members of the House of Representatives to dismiss the draft legislation on evidence in criminal trials which could exacerbate further the already dramatic delays in Italian judicial proceedings.
The legislation would eliminate the possibility for a judge to reject the admission of “superfluous” and even “manifestly superfluous” evidence, allowing the parties to a case to call an almost infinite number of witnesses, and potentially delaying the case indefinitely. It also would make it unduly difficult to incorporate previous final rulings on the same case as prima facie evidence of the facts in the proceedings.”
Italy-length-criminal-trial-web story-2011-eng (full text in English, PDF)
Italy-length-criminal-trial-web story-2011-ita (full text in Italian, PDF)
