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Appointment of Supreme Court Judges in Mexico: International Standards and Best Practice
This briefing paper presents a summary of criteria and transparent practices for the selection of senior judges, drawing on international and national law, standards and practice.
Global Goals: The Challenge for Justice and Rights Advocates
If we believe that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development presents a genuine political opportunity to achieve change, some of us at least may have to adopt a different approach.
New Report: Time to Rebuild Rule of Law in Mexico’s Guerrero State
An assessment of the justice system in Mexico’s Guerrero state has underlined the systematic failure to investigate and prosecute the grave crimes of murder, torture and enforced disappearance.
Pretrial Detention of Juveniles: As Common as It Is Wrong
The extended pretrial detention of juveniles should be a seldom-used measure of last resort, not the sadly common practice it is today.
Washington’s Human Rights Award for Azimjan Askarov Sparks Kyrgyzstan’s Anger
An angry response from the government of Kyrgyzstan to a U.S. human rights award highlights its refusal to address the legacy of interethnic violence that erupted in the south of the country in 2010.
Case Digests: Recent Remedies Decisions from the European Court of Human Rights
This digest sets out summaries of decisions of the European Court of Human Rights with regard to awards of individual and general measures under Article 46 from January 2013 to December 2014.
Case Watch: Judicial Activism at the European Court of Human Rights
Over the last decade the Strasbourg court has become increasingly comfortable recommending and ordering the measures that governments need to take to address breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights.
More Than a Decade after Kalashnikov, Russian Prisons Still Abysmal
An avalanche of European Court judgments has condemned Russian prisons as inhuman and degrading, but conditions remain at odds with basic human rights standards guaranteed by the European Convention.
Case Digest: Abuse of Detainees in Russia: Article 3 ECHR
This briefing paper summarizes 49 recent decisions delivered by the European Court of Human Rights relating to the prohibition of torture and degrading treatment (Article 3) within the Russian Federation.
African Court Orders Remedies and Damages in Case of Murdered Journalist
Africa’s fledgling human rights court has made its first substantial order of financial damages, in a case against Burkina Faso brought by the wife of Norbert Zongo, an investigative journalist murdered in 1998.
New Panel Assesses Candidates ahead of Inter-American Human Rights Vote
An independent panel legal experts is urging the Organization of American States to adopt a more transparent approach to selecting judges and commissioners for the inter-American human rights court and commission.
Case Digests: Human Rights Decisions of the East African Court of Justice, May 2015
Summaries of 18 decisions taken by the East African Court of Justice affecting the rule of law and human rights, taken between May 2013 and February 2015.
Case Watch: Time Limits Thwart Justice in East Africa
The East Africa Court of Justice's strict two-year time limit—and refusal to recognize ongoing violations—impedes access to justice.
Case Watch: European Court Insists on Stringent Investigation of Enforced Disappearance
A case involving a man who disappeared after being detained by the army in south-east Turkey illustrates how the legal thinking of the European Court of Human Rights has evolved over the past two decades.
Africa’s Rights Commission Targets Aribitrary Arrest and Detention
New guidelines from the African Commission meant to improve arrest and detention practices should be greeted warmly—if also warily, since their success will depend on proper implementation by national governments.
Case Watch: Defining “Degrading Treatment” at the European Court of Human Rights
Two recent cases show the Strasbourg courts efforts to refine its definition of what amounts to inhuman or degrading treatment for a person held in detention.
New Independent Panel Will Monitor Election of Inter-American Human Rights Commissioners and Judges
In a move to support and strengthen human rights in the Americas, a panel of five independent experts will monitor the forthcoming election of new members to the region’s human rights commission and court.
Guatemala Recommits to Battle against Criminal Impunity
Extending the work of a UN-backed commission in Guatemala that fights corruption and organized criminality will reinforce efforts to strengthen the rule of law, the Open Society Justice Initiative said.
An Action Plan to Strengthen the Execution of European Human Rights Rulings
Civil society groups have set out a ten-point action plan aimed at strengthening the execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.
Amid Ebola Emergency, Political Problems Distract Sierra Leone
The sacking of Sierra Leone's vice president has sparked political tensions and fueled concerns about the role of the constitution and the rule of law.