Judicial system

SRI LANKA: Administrative liquidation and the independence of the judiciary

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 […]

Hong Kong: Press Release from The Law Society of Hong Kong concerning the Vallejos Evangeline case

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 […]

WORLD: The UN resolution and what the world will learn about Sri Lanka in the coming year

Statement | World | 22-03-2013

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 […]

INDIA: The national dishonour is judicial hypocrisy

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 […]

ประเทศไทย: บทเรียนจากการหายตัวไปของ Sombath Somphone และสมชายนีละไพจิตร

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 […]

THAILAND: Lessons Learned from the Disappearance of Sombath Somphone and Somchai Neelapaijit

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 […]

SRI LANKA: Minister Sirisena sheds crocodile tears regarding the increase of rape and child abuse

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 […]

THAILAND: Nine years without justice for Somchai Neelaphaijit

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 […]

SRI LANKA: The problem it faces before the Human Rights Council

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 […]

INDONESIA: The execution of Adami Wilson – questioning the aims of the death penalty

After refraining from executing individuals for four years, the Indonesian authorities executed a Nigerian national, Adami Wilson, on 14 March 2013. The Tangerang District Court named Adami guilty of drug dealing and sentenced him to death in 2004. The Attorney General Office (AGO) mentioned to the press that Adami’s sentence is the first of other […]

PAKISTAN: The Country has gone Mad, No Doubt

Ms. Perveen Rehman (56), worked for the betterment of the poor and neglected When a small lady weighing hardly 60 kilograms working for the betterment of poor slum-dwellers, and amongst the under-privileged in poorer residential areas, is viewed as a dire threat to the Taliban and the local administration, the sanity of these institutions, and […]

SRI LANKA: A senior lawyer misleads the Supreme Court regarding a case of torture

When the case regarding the torture of Chamila Bandara Jayaratne came before the Supreme Court yesterday (March 11) the lawyer appearing for the respondent police officers, Mr. Manohara de Silva, mislead the court by stating that leave to proceed had not been granted by the Supreme Court in this case. In fact, leave to proceed […]

SRI LANKA: Stop witch hunt against Shirani Bandaranayake CJ — Lawyers Collective

The Lawyers Collective learns that Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake has been summoned to appear before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (Bribery Commission), on 18th March 2013. Under the prevailing situation where politicization of all public institutions at all levels is prevalent, we are of the considered view that the government has […]

SRI LANKA: The Recent Suppression of Tamil Voice at Vavuniya

A group of hundreds of relatives of the disappeared from Mannar and Vavuniya were to arrive on the 5th night in Colombo by buses to share with the people in the South their pathetic stories about the disappearances of their loved ones during and after the war, and then to present a petition to the […]

PAKISTAN: The Supreme Court must ensure that Ahmadis should not be disfranchised

A Golden Opportunity to abolish self-contradictory Franchise System and Restore true Justice and Democracy in Pakistan The world has strongly and repeatedly drawn the attention of Pakistan to its self-contradictory franchise system which denies the Ahmadi Muslims the fundamental right to vote.( Click here to read our previous statement on the issue) The Supreme Court of […]

BANGLADESH: Shoddy tribunal has pushed the country to the verge of a civil war

The tribunal on war crimes established in March 2010 has pushed Bangladesh to extreme violence. Since 28 February, the events have taken a violent turn in which almost 100 persons including women, children and police officers have lost life. Several hundreds more are injured, and properties destroyed of which no body in the country has […]

SRI LANKA: Letter to the UNHRC in support of North and East Christian Clergy

The Office of UN Human Rights Council, Civil Society Section, Geneva. Switzerland Letter to the UNHRC in Support of North and East Christian Clergy Sri Lanka Dear Sir / Madam, We the undersigned individuals and groups vehemently support and endorse the views and demands, contained in the letter sent on 18th Feb. 2013 by 133 […]

INDIA: Manipur, a backtracked promise

Statement | India | 05-03-2013

A court in Manipur yesterday has ordered the detention of Ms. Irom Sharmila Chanu, better known as the iron lady of Manipur. Detention is nothing new to this woman, most humble yet so bold, that she has so far successfully challenged the iron fist of the senselessness Indian state and its Manipuri counterpart, the Government […]

SRI LANKA: Police and Military block family members of disappeared heading to UN in Colombo — UN should act

NfR, a network of Sri Lankan journalists and human rights defenders, expresses its strongest indignation to the Government of Sri Lanka for its dastardly act of blocking Tamil civilians travelling to Colombo to demand justice for the disappeared. Police has used their trucks to block the buses they were travelling with. on 5th March 2013 […]

INDIA: An invitation, murder, and democracy

When a business school invites persons to attend one of its functions, that too expecting the person to deliver nothing less than the keynote address, it must be taking into account many factors. Elementary is the invitee’s credentials, and in the background of the sponsors, who contribute to organise the event. It appears that the […]