Following-up on the side event organised in June 2023 on the “Contribution of legal professions to the work of the Human Rights Council and its Universal Periodic Review (UPR)”, this year the panel will discuss the next steps, and focus more specifically on the role played by the judiciary. In particular the implications, in terms of implementation of the recommendations, of enhancing awareness of the judiciary.

More specifically, the objective of this year event will be to understand the role that judges can play in the UPR process to promote and protect human rights and enhance the implementation of human rights monitoring mechanisms’ recommendations.

The side event will represent an opportunity for UPR stakeholders to reflect on how the HRC could take more steps to engage with judiciary and which could be strategic entry points.

Lastly, the event will also represent an opportunity to present the “Tips to enhance judicial engagement with the United Nations Universal Periodic Review” (the Tips). The Tips were conceived and drafted by the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) in collaboration with UPR Info, and the International Association of Judges (IAJ), endorsed by the Human Rights Platform of the Geneva Academy and the organisation Judges for Judges. The Tips are aimed at supporting governments and other actors to engage the judiciary in the UPR process. They highlight the importance of following up – also at judicial level – recommendations of the UPR. The tips aim also at raising the awareness of the judiciary of recommendations supported as its role may help advance implementation. The overall aim is to ensure implementation of the UPR recommendations at domestic level.

The discussion will address the following questions:

• What is the role of the judiciary, why it can be important for the successful implementation of the UPR recommendations?
• How the judiciary can better use the UPR as an important methodological and interpretive tool for protecting human rights?
• How can UN members States promote the role of the judiciary in the UPR process?

This one-hour panel discussion is open to representatives from Member States, experts, and interested civil society organizations.
Speakers are invited to prepare 7-minute interventions. A moderated questions and answer period will follow.

Co-sponsors Judges for Judges, International Association of Judges, Human Rights Platform of the Geneva Academy, Geneva Bar Association, International Commission of Jurists

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The four European associations and organisations of judges are disappointed by the order of 4 June 2024 of the Grand Chamber dismissing the actions brought by them against the Council decision approving the recovery and resilience plan for Poland as inadmissible.

On 17 June 2022, the Council of the European Union approved the assessment of the plan presented by Poland with regard to the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The Council decision established certain milestones that Poland had to achieve in order to be granted funds. One of the milestones required Poland to establish a review procedure against decisions of the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court concerning judges suspended or otherwise disciplined on grounds contrary to European Union law.

EAJ, Medel, AEAJ and Judges for Judges, also representing suspended Polish judges, argued that Continue reading Joint press release of IAJ-EAJ, Medel, AEAJ and Judges for Judges on the court order of the General Court of 4 June 2024 →

[Nageplaatst bericht van januari 2023.]

The Platform for an Independent Judiciary in Turkey has closely monitored the developments within the Turkish judiciary over the past years – not only since the 2016 coup attempt – observing the constant increase of the undue pressure on judges, and repeatedly warning against the gross violations of the human rights of the imprisoned Turkish judges and prosecutors.

Click here to read more: 20230125 Turkey judges Baser-Ozcelik

Together with three European organisations of judges (AEAJ, EAJ and MEDEL), Rechters voor Rechters (Judges for Judges) sent a letter to Ms. Dunja Mijatović, Commissioner for Human Rights (CoE) and Mr. Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice in which our strong concerns are presented about the situation of the judiciary in Bulgaria, where – even recently – cases of judges exposed to pressure and intimidating conduct in connection with the exercise of their professional duties have been reported. We wished to draw their attention in particular to the very alarming developments concerning Judge Vladislava Tzarigradska (picture). After a media smear campaign in 2019 and the threats that led in January 2020 to the assignment of security measures to her and her family for several months, in February 2020 Judge Tzarigradska, at that time serving at Lukovit District Court, and Judge Tsvetko Lazarov, of the Sofia Court of Appeal, reported in a public session of the Judicial Chamber of the Superior Council of the Judiciary on the attacks and pressure they had received from specific individuals while conducting criminal proceedings. One of these individuals was shot dead in January 2024. For the threats and pressure repeatedly denounced since 2019 by Judge Tzarigradska, criminal proceedings were only initiated in May 2023, and no charges have been yet brought against anyone. After her last public statements on the threats she received, Judge Tzarigradska was again targeted by media attacks and threatening messages, to the extent that security measures have been ordered again since last February.

Click here voor the Open Letter from Bulgaria:

Open Letter Bulgaria

Continue reading Statement of The Platform for an Independent Judiciary in Turkey on the Erosion of Rule of Law in Türkiye →