Judicial system

FINNWATCH STATEMENT 1st of April 2013 Legal actions against Finnwatch researcher are an attack against human rights defenders and freedom of expression. Thailand’s authorities must immediately launch an investigation into the operations of Natural Fruit and its parent company NatGroup. Human rights issues must be tackled also in the ongoing free trade agreement negotiations between […]

REFERRING to the Statements we have previously issued expressing our grave concern about the flawed impeachment process by which Chief Justice Bandaranayake was removed from the office of Chief Justice in defiance of the judgements of the highest courts in Sri Lanka REFERRING also to the statements of concern issued by the UN Special Rapporteur […]

The following is a statement issued by a group of Asian jurists, who met from 9-11 April in Bangkok, to discuss about threats to professional freedom of lawyers and the independence of the judiciary in Asia. Jurists from Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, and Hong Kong attended […]

A statement by Asian Jurists on the Impeachment of the Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, and about the threatened rule of law in Sri Lanka. The statement is issued by the jurists who attended a consultation organised by the Lawyers’ Collective of Sri Lanka and the Asian Human Rights Commission, on the Independence of Judges […]

Today, 11 April 2013, the authorities in Bangladesh have arrested the Interim Editor of a prominent Bangladeshi daily, Daily Amardesh, Mr. Mahmudur Rahman. Officers raided Rahman’s office at about 8:30 am and taken away by the Detective Branch of Bangladesh Police. Rahman’s arrest is an attempt to stifle dissenting voice. Rahman is in a serious […]

(Hong Kong, April 10, 2013) A Burma-based lawyers group has released its findings on the Letpadaung land struggle in English. The 39-page illustrated report was submitted by the Lawyers Network (Myanmar) and the Justice Trust in February to the government’s investigation commission into events at Letpadaung, recounts the land struggle and subsequent crackdown on protestors. […]

A Reflection by Bishop Duleep de Chickera Over the past months Sri Lankans have been educated on two Arabic words: halal and haram (that which is permissible and not permissible). Unfortunately the circumstances of learning have been an unprecedented antagonism towards the Muslim community much deeper than the halal issue. This trend must be addressed without […]

The present case appears to be one where two persons along with some others were just seized from a hut, taken to a long distance away in a truck and shot there. This type of activity cannot certainly be countenanced by the courts even in the case of disturbed areas. If the police had information […]

Wednesday, 03 April 2013 02:34 The Attorney General is reported to be collecting statistics on incidents of rape and child abuse. Though this has come a little too late it is commendable. We are sad to note that Sri Lanka does not maintain proper records of such ruthless crimes. According to media reports the inquiry […]

On 21 March 2013 a member of the national legislature in Burma introduced a motion calling for the country to join the United Nations Convention against Torture. In his motion, Dr Aung Moe Nyo, member of the National League for Democracy for Pwintbyu, Magway Region, argued that as the country is now developing and democratising […]

Pakistan will hold its general elections on May 11, only the second to be held in a civilian environment in 35 years of this new Pakistan. It is, however, the first time in the history of the country that the power would be handed over from one civilian government to another. Under the supervision of […]

In a very recent order from the Supreme Court of India the court, among other things, stated as follows: For this Court, the life of a policeman or a member of the security forces is no less precious and valuable than any other person. The lives lost in the fight against terrorism and insurgency are […]

The Law Society of Hong Kong notes the Court of Final Appeal (“CFA”) published its judgment (“Judgment”) in the case of Vallejos Evangeline Banao and Domingo Daniel L. v. Commissioner of Registration and Registration of Persons Tribunal (“Vallejos”) and has the following observations: 1.  Foreign Domestic Workers – Right of Abode We note the CFA […]

Yesterday the United Nations Human Rights Council approved the resolution on promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka. The gist of the resolution is that the Human Rights Council welcomes the report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights offering advice and technical assistance to the government of Sri Lanka for promoting […]

Some in India would consider the country’s honour preserved, and finally respected, once the marines from Italy return to stand trial in India. The marines’ return is an issue, in which the Supreme Court of India sailed through unchartered waters, at the risk of a complete breakdown of bilateral relationships between India and Italy. The […]

19 มีนาคม 2556 เรื่อง ขอเชิญเข้าร่วมเวทีเสวนา เรียน สื่อมวลชน และผู้ที่สนใจ กองทุนรางวัลสมชาย นีละไพจิตร มูลนิธิยุติธรรมเพื่อสันติภาพ โครงการฟื้นฟูนิเวศในภูมิภาคแม่นน้ำโขง (TERRA) และ แอมเนสตี้ อินเตอร์เนชั่นแนล ประเทศไทย ขอเชิญสื่อมวลชน และผู้ที่สนใจ เข้าร่วมเวทีเสวนา หัวข้อ “สิทธิมนุษยชนในอาเซียน: กรณีศึกษา การสูญหายของ สมบัด สมพอน และ สมชาย นีละไพจิตร” ในวันพุธที่ 27 มีนาคม 2556 เวลา 09.30 – 12.00 น. ณ ห้องประชุมจิตติ ติงศภัทิย์ ชั้น 1 คณะนิติศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์ ท่าพระจันทร์ โดยมี อังคณา นีละไพจิตร, ศรีประภา เพชรมีศรี และ วิฑูรย์ เพิ่มพงศาเจริญ ร่วมเสวนา […]

Somchai Neelapaijit Memorial Fund, Justice for Peace Foundation, Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliances (TERRA), Amnesty International Thailand will host a panel discussion entitled “Human Rights in ASEAN: Lessons Learned from the Disappearance of Sombath Somphone and Somchai Neelapaijit.” The event takes place on March 27, 2013, from 9.30-12.00, at Jitti Tingsapat Meeting Room, 1st […]

The Minister of Health, Maithripala Sirisena, was reported as saying that 65 percent of the cases before the courts in Polunowara district concern rape, child abuse and the harassment of women. He also said that this has created great discouragement in his own political life. The minister made this statement at a conference held at […]

On March 12, 2013, the ninth anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Somchai Neelaphaijit passed. The Asian Human Rights Commission chooses to note this anniversary with continued sorrow for the enforced disappearance of Somchai Neelaphaijit and deep concern for the persistent failure to secure justice in this case. This is nine years in which the […]

In mythology we always hear about transformations; that a frog became a prince, or a beautiful princess became an ugly hag, and the like. These stories reflect the phenomenon of transformation, which happens in the lives of individuals as well as societies. When we talk about Sri Lanka, we also see many similar transformations. Some […]