On this Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2022, The Bar of Ireland expresses solidarity with our colleagues throughout the world who face persecution for carrying out their work.
Every year on the 24 January, the attention of the international community is drawn to the plight of lawyers who are harassed, threatened, tortured and even, in some cases, murdered because they have sought, in accordance with their professional duties, to ensure that their clients’ rights are respected and vindicated. The free and independent practice of law is vital to ensuring that people can assert their legal rights and that the Rule of Law can be upheld.
This year, the Day of the Endangered Lawyer is dedicated to our colleagues in Colombia, who are risking their lives by simply carrying out their professional duties. In its April 2021 report, Human Rights Watch reported that more than 450 human rights defenders have been murdered in Colombia since the signing of the Peace Agreement there in 2016.
Many more have been the subject of attacks, threats and harassment. The International Observatory for Lawyers reports that human rights organisations have frequently been targeted for State-sponsored surveillance operations and that many human rights defenders have suffered harassment at the hands of the judiciary, which includes vexatious threats of prosecution. Lawyers who represent clients in sensitive areas, such as environmental claims or land restitution cases, are at a heightened risk.
Those who find themselves in danger often receive inadequate, if any, protection or assistance from the State.
Two events to join:
In addition, there is no independent Colombian bar association, which means there is no national body dedicated to defending the interests of lawyers and the free practice of their work. This leaves those who find themselves at risk isolated and exposed.
EN-Final-Report-Colombia_DEF
Petition to Colombian State
The Bar of Ireland joins with several other national and international Bar Associations in endorsing the attached petition which, amongst other matters, calls on the Colombian State to respect the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers and, in particular, to respond to the increasing number of attacks on Colombian Lawyers and take concrete measures to ensure their safety and freedom.
Petition-Colombia_-ENAbout the Human Rights Committee of The Bar of Ireland
This Committee works to promote justice and respect for human rights through the rule of law. It monitors human rights issues, in particular those involving lawyers who are endangered, and engages with various human rights groups.
Chair: Joseph O’Sullivan BL
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