The ICJ’s Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers (CIJL) has launched the first in a series of Country Profiles, a new online tool on the ICJ’s website.

Profiles on Myanmar, the Russian Federation, South Sudan and Swaziland are being published today. Tunisia, Venezuela and Honduras will be added in the coming months. By the end of 2014, all five regions in which the ICJ is active will be represented (Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, Latin America, MENA). The CIJL plans to add further countries on an on-going basis, and periodically to update existing profiles.

Each profile summarises information about the independence of judges, lawyers and prosecutors in the country, and assesses the situation against relevant international law and standards. The profiles aim to provide users, including legal professionals, academics, government officials and human rights defenders, with material in an accessible format which can also be used for further analysis.

The profiles reflect the efforts of the CIJL and other ICJ programmes to monitor the independence and accountability of judges, lawyers and prosecutors in certain countries, particularly those where their independence is threatened or under attack. Moreover, the profiles provide reference points on the laws and the standards applicable to the independence of judges and lawyers and the administration of justice in each country.

The profiles can be accessed by clicking here. They are available as an interactive database on the ICJ’s website, and can also be downloaded in PDF format.

Source: CIJL Newsletter | N°5 – June 2014