An American Bar Association amicus brief in a case brought against Colombia in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights urges the court to reaffirm that an independent judiciary and legal profession, including the protection of judges and lawyers from intimidation and physical attacks, is critical to protecting human rights and the rule of law.
The case, Carlos Augusto Rodríguez Vera et al. (Palace of Justice) v. Colombia, involves the 1985 hostage-taking by a guerilla group of approximately 350 judges, public servants, workers and visitors, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 100 people as government security forces regained control of the Palace of Justice. It also involves allegations of the killing of a magistrate and the detention and torture of a lawyer and two law students following the incident.
The brief cites allegations that inappropriate pressures and threats of violence against judges and lawyers working on these matters have interfered with or halted investigations. If proved, such actions threaten effective human rights enforcement and violate numerous provisions of the American Convention on Human Rights, the brief states.
The amicus brief, which was prepared with the assistance of the ABA Center for Human Rights’ Justice Defenders Program, notes the ABA’s longstanding recognition that the integrity of the judicial process is “essential to the rule of law and the cornerstone of any legal regime that purports to give meaningful recognition to fundamental human rights.”
The ABA brief is available online at www.americanbar.org .
