UN Special Rapporteur | United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers

The Office of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung to the United Nations in New York has the pleasure to invite you to a panel discussion on occasion of the 36th Anniversary of the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary.

The independence of the judiciary and the legal profession is an essential component for courts to fulfil their role as guardians of the rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms of the people.

With this aim in mind, the UN General Assembly endorsed with resolutions 40/32 of 29 November 1985 and 40/146 of 13 December 1985 the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary which previously had been adopted by the Seventh United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in Milan in September 1985.

Particularly in recent years we note increasing attacks on Judges and Lawyers and interference in judicial processes by state and non-state actors. These threats include inter alia personal attacks, public backlash, sudden changes within the structure of judicial administration, unconstitutional removal of judges, corrupt practices carried out by other branches of government, political parties, private sector, and organized crime groups.

All of them are broad assaults on democratic principles and affect citizen und human rights.

Institutions such as the UN Special Rapporteur for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, professional associations, but also the media and members of parliament have an important role to play. They can raise awareness on violations and can enhance the level of accountability for potential interferences.

With those guardians for the independence of the Judiciary we would like to discuss the current trends globally and what role each of them can play.

Join us for this discussion: