Richard Sédillot, Vice-president of the European and International Affairs Committee, presented the project to relaunch the International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger before the General Assembly of the Conseil National des Barreaux which took place on 11th and 12th September 2015.
The purpose of this observatory is to defend lawyers around the world who are under threat. Its aim is to include all French and foreign bars and law societies which take an interest in its projects, alongside the Conseil National des Barreaux and the Paris Bar.
The purpose of this observatory is to defend lawyers around the world who are under threat. Its aim is to include all French and foreign bars and law societies which take an interest in its projects, alongside the Conseil National des Barreaux and the Paris Bar.
The origins of the International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger
The origins of the International Observatory for lawyers in danger can be traced back to 2008, when a project named “Lawyers at Service of Lawyers”, co-financed by the European Union, brought five partners together – The Conseil National des Barreaux, the Spanish National Bar Association, the Italian National Bar Association, the NGO Lawyers Without Borders France, and the Paris Bar – to reunite their expertise in order to guarantee greater protection for lawyers whose line of work defending human rights puts them at risk.
The initial project, which lased 30 months and made it possible for a number of lawyer training courses to take place (in Algeria, Armenia and Colombia), for urgency aid to be provided for lawyers directly under threat, and to launch a first International Observatory of Lawyers with the task of monitoring the situation of lawyers who are at risk in their country as a result of exercising their profession.
After this European project came to an end, the initial partners wanted to continue their efforts, which had proved extremely useful for a number of lawyers around the world. Since it recognised the crucial role that a body such as the Observatory would play, the Conseil National des Barreaux and the Paris Bar decided in 2014 to relaunch the initiative by deploying their calling upon their historic partners and by choosing to open the new observatory to bars and law societies who would be interested in taking part.
The initial project, which lased 30 months and made it possible for a number of lawyer training courses to take place (in Algeria, Armenia and Colombia), for urgency aid to be provided for lawyers directly under threat, and to launch a first International Observatory of Lawyers with the task of monitoring the situation of lawyers who are at risk in their country as a result of exercising their profession.
After this European project came to an end, the initial partners wanted to continue their efforts, which had proved extremely useful for a number of lawyers around the world. Since it recognised the crucial role that a body such as the Observatory would play, the Conseil National des Barreaux and the Paris Bar decided in 2014 to relaunch the initiative by deploying their calling upon their historic partners and by choosing to open the new observatory to bars and law societies who would be interested in taking part.
The tasks of the International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger
The purpose of the Observatory will be to defend lawyers under threat and denounce situations in which the right to defense is put at risk. It will also track, through monitoring and all other available means, lawyers who are victim of threats, pressure, torture, or any other kind of abuse.
The main work that the Observatory will be able to carry out will fall into three main lines of action:
The Observatory is to be launched in Paris on December 10th, as part of European Lawyers Day and Human Rights Day.
The main work that the Observatory will be able to carry out will fall into three main lines of action:
• « Monitoring and advocacy” (alert letters, diverse publications, group action);
• “Emergency assistance” (support work and attribution of emergency material aid);
• “Training” (the conception and distribution of teaching material and the organisation of training courses).
• “Emergency assistance” (support work and attribution of emergency material aid);
• “Training” (the conception and distribution of teaching material and the organisation of training courses).
The Observatory is to be launched in Paris on December 10th, as part of European Lawyers Day and Human Rights Day.
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