All posts by Redactie

Activiteiten, Oekraïne

Comité van Ministers van de Raad van Europa voert druk verder op: Volkov (Oekraïne)

Comité van Ministers van de Raad van Europa voert druk verder op: Oekraïne dient de ontslagen rechter Oleksandr Volkov ‘without further delay’  in zijn functie te laten terugkeren. 

De zaak is in de vergadering van Comité van Ministers van 3 tot 5 december 2013 opnieuw aan de orde geweest.

Ter herinnering: op 9 januari 2013, definitief geworden op 27 mei 2013, heeft het Europees Hof voor de Rechten van de Mens (EHRM) bepaald dat Oekraïne maatregelen moet treffen om de ontslagen rechter in het Hooggerechtshof Volkov zo snel als mogelijk is weer te benoemen tot rechter in dit hof. Oekraïne heeft tot op heden geen concrete stappen gezet om het oordeel van het EHRM uit te voeren.

Rechters voor Rechters heeft eerder in een brief van 29 augustus 2013 aan het Comité aandacht voor de zaak van Volkov gevraagd.

Het Comité heeft er tijdens de september vergadering al op gewezen dat Oekraïne onvoorwaardelijk verplicht is Continue reading Comité van Ministers van de Raad van Europa voert druk verder op: Volkov (Oekraïne) →

CIJL_ICJ, Marokko

Morocco: judicial reform must be comprehensive and meaningful | CIJL-ICJ

The Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers (CIJL)

The ICJ today called on the Moroccan authorities to ensure comprehensive and meaningful reform of the judiciary.

The statement comes as the ICJ concluded a high-level mission to Morocco and launched its report Reforming the Judiciary in Morocco, on 21 November 2013.

The ICJ said that reforms should aim at putting an end to any form of undue influence or control by the executive over judicial matters. It called for the reinforcement of the authority of the newly established Conseil Supérieur du Pouvoir Judiciaire (CSPJ) over all aspects of the careers of both judges and prosecutors.

The ICJ stressed that the Office of the Public Prosecutor (OPP) should be kept independent of the judiciary and that it must carry out its activities objectively, impartially and in defence of human rights.

The organization also urged that the jurisdiction of military courts be restricted to military personnel for breaches of military discipline, and that by no means should military courts be used to try crimes consisting of Continue reading Morocco: judicial reform must be comprehensive and meaningful | CIJL-ICJ →

CIJL_ICJ, IBAHRI, Special Rapporteur, Sri Lanka

ICJ and IBAHRI urge Commonwealth States to make Sri Lanka accountable to Commonwealth values

The Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers (CIJL)

The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the ICJ urge the Commonwealth Heads of States meeting in Colombo this week to make Sri Lanka accountable to Commonwealth values.

The IBAHRI and the ICJ recall that the Commonwealth Charter, passed in March 2012, sets out 16 core values, which include safeguarding the independence of the judiciary, protecting the rule of law, respecting the separation of powers and promoting democratic rule.

But the two organizations point out numerous examples where these values have not been respected by the Government of Sri Lanka.

The IBAHRI and the ICJ were holding a press conference in Bangkok Thailand today after a high-level IBAHRI delegation was blocked from entering Sri Lanka late last week to attend a conference on the rule of law and independence of the legal profession hosted by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.

Giving a statement remotely, Gabriela Knaul, UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, expressed “serious concerns about acts of reprisals against judges, prosecutors, lawyers and other actors of the judicial system who cooperate, or seek to cooperate, with UN and regional human rights mechanisms.”

“Reprisals against judicial actors and legal professionals are Continue reading ICJ and IBAHRI urge Commonwealth States to make Sri Lanka accountable to Commonwealth values →

Activiteiten, CIJL_ICJ, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Uruguay, Venezuela

Slotverklaring conferentie Honduras inzake de verdediging van de rechterlijke onafhankelijkheid in Midden-Amerika

Namens de Stichting Rechters voor Rechters bezocht Katrien Witteman een congres over de onafhankelijkheid van de rechterlijke macht in Midden-Amerika dat op 31 oktober en 1 november 2013 werd gehouden in Tegucigalpa (Honduras). Het congres was georganiseerd door de Neue Deutsche Richtervereinigung en de Hondurese Asociacion de Jueces por la Democracia. Hieronder treft u de slotverklaring aan.

 

Jueces europeos y centroamericanos expresaron en Tegucigalpa su preocupación por la falta de independencia del sistema judicial en países como Honduras, Guatemala y El Salvador. Continue reading Slotverklaring conferentie Honduras inzake de verdediging van de rechterlijke onafhankelijkheid in Midden-Amerika →

Venezuela

Proces tegen María Lourdes Afiuni onderbroken

Het proces tegen rechter María Lourdes Afiuni is afgelopen week, 23 oktober 2013 onderbroken, aangezien de OvJ Emilce Ramos, die belast is met de vervolging, niet ter terechtzitting verschenen is.

Voor deze datum was een confrontatie voorzien tussen de OvJ William Guerrero en verschillende andere getuigen, op grond van de evidente contradicties waar de eerstgenoemde tegenaan liep toen hij getuigenis aflegde.

De OvJ Guerrero was de aanklager in de zaak van Eligio Cedeño en hij verontschuldigde zich voor zijn afwezigheid bij een terechtzitting, vastgesteld op 10 december 2009, waarbij hij aanvoerde dat deze voor hem samenviel met een andere rechtszaak. Uitgerekend gezien zijn afwezigheid bij voornoemde terechtzitting stelde rechter Afiuni een nieuwe datum vast en verleende zij aan Cedeño voorwaardelijke vrijheid, overeenkomstig de geldende regels, die stellen dat vrijheidsbenemende maatregelen op ieder moment kunnen worden herzien, zonder dat daarvoor een terechtzitting noodzakelijk is. Merkwaardig genoeg verscheen Continue reading Proces tegen María Lourdes Afiuni onderbroken →

CIJL_ICJ, El Salvador

El Salvador: authorities urged to respect and protect the independence of the judiciary | CIJL-ICJ

The Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers (CIJL)

During a one-week mission that concluded on 4 October, the ICJ received information on the tense situation faced by the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Chamber, whose independence has been subjected to political influence for more than a year.

The ICJ is concerned about a complaint filed with the Legislative Assembly which requests a provisional judgment against four judges of the Constitutional Chamber for alleged prevarication, abuse of power and disobedience. This could result in their removal from the Court.

The ICJ wishes to reiterate that, in accordance with international standards, the judiciary must be protected from any restrictions, improper influences, inducements, pressures, threats or interferences, direct or indirect, including from legislative or executive authorities.

The mission, led by a high-level ICJ delegation that included ICJ Commissioners Justice Philippe Texier and Professor Rodrigo Uprimny, focused on access to justice and legal remedies for victims of violations of economic, social and cultural rights.

It engaged in discussions with members of the legal profession, civil society and various authorities including the public prosecutor office (the Procuradoria General de la Republica and the Procuradoria para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos), as well as with the Constitutional Chamber. Continue reading El Salvador: authorities urged to respect and protect the independence of the judiciary | CIJL-ICJ →

CIJL_ICJ, Indonesië

Call on Indonesian authorities to ensure right to a fair trial for Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court | CIJL-ICJ

The ICJ is calling on the Indonesian authorities to ensure that the proceedings against Justice Akil Mochtar fully comply with international law and standards on fair trial and the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.

Justice Mochtar, Chief Justice of Indonesia’s Constitutional Court (photo), is accused of taking a bribe to issue a favourable verdict in an election dispute.

Justice Mochtar was arrested on 2 October 2013 and remains in custody. According to a spokesperson for the Corruption Eradication Commission, he is alleged to have received a bribe, through several intermediaries, from Hambit Binti, a district chief whose re-election was contested.

The Constitutional Court has sole jurisdiction over disputes contesting the conduct or results of elections.

The ICJ calls for a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation of these serious allegations.

The impartiality of the judiciary is an essential condition for respect for the rule of law, and is undermined when judicial decisions are made on the basis of financial inducements rather than solely according to evidence and the law.

Integrity is vital to the proper Continue reading Call on Indonesian authorities to ensure right to a fair trial for Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court | CIJL-ICJ →

Activiteiten, Oekraïne

Ontslagen Oekraïnse rechter Volkov zo spoedig mogelijk terug in functie

Comité van Ministers van de Raad van Europa: Oekraïne dient de ontslagen rechter Oleksandr Volkov zo spoedig mogelijk in zijn functie te laten terugkeren en te komen met hervormingen van het justitiële systeem

Op 9 januari 2013, definitief geworden op 27 mei 2013, heeft het Europees Hof voor de Rechten van de Mens (EHRM) bepaald dat Oekraïne maatregelen moet treffen om de ontslagen rechter in het Hooggerechtshof Volkov zo snel als mogelijk is weer te benoemen tot rechter in dit hof. Oekraïne heeft tot op heden geen concrete stappen gezet om het oordeel van het EHRM uit te voeren. De zaak is in de vergadering van Comité van Ministers van 24 tot 26 september 2013 opnieuw aan de orde geweest.

Het Comité wijst erop dat Oekraïne onvoorwaardelijk verplicht is te regelen dat Volkov weer wordt benoemd als rechter van het Hooggerechtshof en roept Oekraïne op deze verplichting zo spoedig mogelijk na te komen, mede gelet op het feit dat er momenteel twee vacatures zijn in het Hooggerechtshof.

In aanvulling hierop Continue reading Ontslagen Oekraïnse rechter Volkov zo spoedig mogelijk terug in functie →

CIJL_ICJ, Rusland

Russian Federation: ICJ condemns killing of a judge in Dagestan | CIJL-ICJ

Judge Shapiyev

The ICJ today expressed grave concern over the shooting of a Supreme Court judge of Dagestan and his son.

The ICJ calls on the federal and local authorities to ensure prompt, independent, impartial and thorough investigation of the shooting of Judge Mukhtar Shapiyev (photo) and his son.

Those reasonably suspected of responsibility for this crime should be identified and brought to justice in fair and transparent proceedings, where the rights of all the parties, including the victims and the accused are respected.

The ICJ recalls that Mukhtar Shapiyev is the third judge to be killed in Dagestan this year. Continue reading Russian Federation: ICJ condemns killing of a judge in Dagestan | CIJL-ICJ →

Algemeen, Venezuela

ICJ & HRW call for Venezuela to withdraw charges against Judge Maria Lourdes Afiuni | CIJL-ICJ

The ICJ today called on the UN Human Rights Council to urge Venezuela to withdraw charges brought against Judge Maria Lourdes Afiuni (photo) for the legitimate exercise of her professional functions.

In a General Debate under Item 5 (human rights bodies and mechanisms), the ICJ made reference to Judge Afiuni’s case as one profiled in the report of the UN Secretary-General on cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field. Judge Afiuni was arrested in December 2009 for ordering the release on bail of Mr Eligio Cedeno, reportedly in part on the basis that his detention had been declared arbitrary by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Continue reading ICJ & HRW call for Venezuela to withdraw charges against Judge Maria Lourdes Afiuni | CIJL-ICJ →