Global Network for Justice Initiatives

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has recently passed a new intelligence law that requires all citizens, especially government officials, to assist the government in turning over information. Under this new law, Venezuela’s former intelligence agencies, the DISIP and the DIM will be replaced by the General Intelligence Office and General Counterintelligence Office, which will both be commanded by Chavez. Refusal to comply with requests for information can result in up to four years in prison for civilians and up to six years in prison for government employees.

One of the most disturbing aspects of this new legislation is the inclusion of the judiciary in complying with intelligence requests. With this new law, the judiciary will effectively be used as government spies instead of maintainers of justice and fairness. While the judiciary in a government should have the power to counterbalance the executive and provide non-partisan justice, this new law will force the judiciary to become subordinate to President Chavez and complicit in the government’s actions. According to the New York Times, “While the language of this passage of the law…is vague…the idea is clear: justice officials, including judges, are required to actively collaborate with the intelligence services rather than serve as a check on them.”

While Chavez claims that this new law will guard the country against terrorism and protect human rights, in reality, it will erode the rights of Venezuelans by giving the government too much power over the judiciary. The status of the judiciary has been declining substantially under Chavez and will continue to do so with the addition of this legislation. This new intelligence law puts the judiciary in imminent danger of losing its independence in Venezuela. Without an independent judiciary, the executive branch will be able to assert full, unchecked power over the country, which will undoubtedly be detrimental.

 Photo: Wikipedia

Nota del Administrador: Juan José Bouchon es abogado chileno y asociado del estudio Carey Cia. El Sr. Bouchon es también Columbia Law School’s LL.M. Pro Bono Fellow y actualmente trabaja como asociado extranjero en Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, oficina de Nueva York.

Generalmente cuando hablamos de los desafíos que presenta la expansión de la práctica pro bono inmediatamente nos preguntamos como lograr para que los abogados se interesen el tema. Aunque indispensable, esa pregunta sólo representa la mitad del desafío.

Todo programa pro bono debe tender a que la “oferta pro bono”, representada por abogados dispuestos a prestar en forma gratuita servicios a los pobres o servicios legales de interés público, cuente con una “demanda pro bono” equivalente, o la disponibilidad concreta de casos en que dichos abogados puedan materializar su aporte pro bono.

No hay que confundir lo que son las necesidades legales existentes con la “demanda pro bono” propiamente tal. La primera es requisito de la segunda pero, en cambio, la misma no asegura esta última. Estamos frente a la paradoja de que las necesidades legales pueden ser numerosas pero al mismo tiempo la demanda escasa. Para que una necesidad legal pueda convertirse en una “demanda pro bono” es necesario que alguien literalmente transforme dicha necesidad en demanda, esto es, que identifique un caso pro bono y ponga en contacto al posible beneficiario con el abogado pro bono. Read the rest of this entry »

The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), with funding from the Swedish government and the UK Department for International Development, has developed a training program for Iraqi lawyers, judges, and prosecutors in order to educate them about international human rights laws. Since 2004, the IBAHRI has held three five-day training courses in which they have used the UN/IBA manual, Human Rights in the Administration of Justice, to educate these legal professionals. After these training sessions, the participants have implemented their own training courses in Iraq. In 2004, the IBA predicted that over 800 people would participate in the training course over the next two years. Along with these courses, the IBAHRI has also trained these professionals in international humanitarian law, international criminal law and war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

According to the IBAHRI, “[These programs cover] a variety of topics including the sources of international criminal law, international criminal law in Iraq, crimes against humanity, genocide, crimes of aggression, war crimes and criminal responsibility and immunity.” The hope for these programs, and subsequent programs as well, is that the lawyers, judges, and prosecutors participating in them will use the knowledge attained on human rights laws and apply it to future cases that they may be involved with in the Iraqi court system. The IBA has also aided in the creation of a website for the Iraqi Bar Association, which will give people easier access to information regarding legal activity in Iraq.

Similar training programs have taken place in Cambodia, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, Russia, and Turkey. These initiatives are all positive steps for achieving global justice and human rights.

Photo: Courtesy of Wikimedia.org