News Archives - Page 2 of 6 - International Legal Assistance Consortium

Nuevo Informe de ILAC: El Sector Justicia Guatemalteco en la Larga Sombra del Conflicto

September 5, 2018

Estocolmo, Suecia

El International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC) publicó hoy la versión en español del informe que examina la situación de la judicatura y el ministerio público fiscal en Guatemala. El Informe de Evaluación del Estado de Derecho de ILAC sobre Guatemala proporciona una línea de base a los esfuerzos para analizar el estado de derecho en Guatemala, incluyendo los desafíos para hacer justicia por los crímenes cometidos durante el conflicto armado interno de 1960-1996, disputas sobre tierras y recursos naturales, criminalización de protestas, discriminación contra las mujeres y personas LGBTI, y marginación de las comunidades indígenas.

Champion of Human Rights Law Receives ILAC Lifetime Membership Award

August 29, 2018

Dr Rodger Chongwe at 2018 ILAC Annual General Meeting

I first came to know of Rodger Chongwe in 1997; he had been shot in the head by paramilitary police in his home country, Zambia. Rodger was at that time the Chairman of a coalition of opposition parties that was campaigning to rein in the corrupt practices of the President and Government; Rodger had been the Justice Minister in that Government and had remonstrated with the President, at first in private and later in cabinet, about unconstitutional and illegal actions; eventually Rodger felt he could not in good conscience remain in post, he resigned and continued to campaign publically for Presidential probity and integrity. [Read more…]

Tunisia at the Crossroads – Rule of Law Assistance During a Political Crisis

August 3, 2018

Blog piece by Shane Quinn

As Tunisia steadily moves forwards with its decentralisation reform, there is an onus on administrative justice institutions to ensure that they can maintain the pace in terms of organisation, responsiveness and accountability. Building or reforming institutional capability in politically shaky settings is not easy at the best of times – doing so on the back of a revolution under the inscrutable and watchful eye of an informed and demanding population adds vital momentum. And so it should be. Yet, the pace of reform has been slow even if the stakes are high. [Read more…]

ILAC in 2017: Annual Report Available Online

July 4, 2018

In 2017, we celebrated our fifteenth year as a Consortium, reconfirming our vision and mission as well as setting our strategic priorities for the next five years.

Since we were founded, our Consortium has gathered over 50 professional legal organisations and experts from all over the world that reflect a wide-range of legal expertise and competencies which can be drawn upon to help rebuild justice systems in countries that are fragile or conflict-affected. [Read more…]

ILAC Welcomes Two New Organisational Members at 2018 Annual General Meeting

June 29, 2018

Representing the International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA), Chief Charles Taku speaks at 2018 Annual General Meeting

ILAC is delighted to welcome the International Legal Foundation and International Criminal Court Bar Association to our Consortium as organisational members. Both organisations were unanimously elected to join ILAC by our 2018 Annual General Meeting in Stockholm, Sweden. [Read more…]

ILAC and Sida Co-Host Seminar on Rule of Law Assistance and Customary Justice in Fragile Settings

June 27, 2018

On May 31, ILAC together with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), organised a seminar on “Promoting Complementarity: How Can International Rule of Law Assistance Support Engagement with Customary Justice in Fragile Settings?” at Sida’s headquarters in Stockholm. [Read more…]

ILAC Congratulates Members for Successful 2018 Annual General Meeting

June 14, 2018

ILAC Executive Director Agneta Johansson speaks at ILAC 2018 Annual General Meeting

ILAC congratulates our members and secretariat for yet another successful Annual General Meeting.

ILAC hosted over forty of our member representatives for our sixteenth Annual General Meeting in Stockholm, Sweden earlier this month. In addition to Consortium housekeeping, such as updating ILAC’s by-laws and holding elections, the Meeting discussed dissemination targets for our recently released Rule of Law Assessment Report for Guatemala (2017) as well as renewed efforts to update ILAC’s assessment methodology and how we set geographic priorities. [Read more…]

New ILAC Report: The Guatemalan Justice Sector in the Long Shadow of Conflict

May 29, 2018

READ REPORT HERE

Stockholm, Sweden — The International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC) today released a new report that examines the situation of the judiciary and public prosecution in Guatemala. ILAC’s R ule of Law Assessment Report on Guatemala provides a baseline for efforts to analyze the rule of law in Guatemala, including challenges such as the justice for crimes committed during the 1960-1996 internal armed conflict, disputes over land and natural resources, criminalization of protests, discrimination against women and LGBTI persons, and marginalization of indigenous communities. [Read more…]

ILAC and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency to Hold Seminar on Customary Justice

May 28, 2018

On 31 May, Thursday, ILAC and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) will co-host the seminar “Promoting Complementarity: How Can International Rule of Law Assistance Support Engagement with Customary Justice in Fragile Settings?”.

Date: Thursday, 31 May, 2018
Time: 14.00-16.15
Venue: Sida, Valhallavägen 199, Stockholm

[Read more…]

ILAC Holds Discussion of Customary Justice at 2018 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development

May 25, 2018

ILAC Senior Legal Expert Rhodri Williams welcomes discussants and audience to the session on “Legitimacy, Accountability and Access to Justice” at the 2018 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development. ©Vanessa Passos

For the third year running, ILAC partnered with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) to contribute to the annual Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development, held 7-9 May. The Stockholm Forum is co-hosted by SIPRI and the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and promotes interdisciplinary exchanges among global thought-leaders aiming to influence key policy and research agendas.

[Read more…]

Judges as Peacebuilders: The Challenges of Ensuring Access to Justice in Conflict-affected Settings

May 7, 2018

by Rhodri Williams, Senior Legal Expert, International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC)

This Spring, for the third year running, the International Legal Assistance Consortium(ILAC) will be participating in the SIPRI Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development. ILAC is a consortium of 50 rule of law organizations worldwide, many of which participate in ILAC assessments and capacity-building work with justice sector actors in conflict-affected and fragile countries. The theme of this year’s Forum, on the “Politics of Peace” reflects both opportunities and challenges for rule of law actors seeking to contribute to broader efforts to end conflict and support sustainable development. [Read more…]

New ILAC Discussion Paper Explores Justice Sector Reform and Prevention in Transitional Settings

April 19, 2018

ILAC launched today the Discussion Paper on Judges as Peacebuilders: How Justice Sector Reform Can Support Prevention in Transitional Settings.

The first-of-its-kind Paper identifies key lessons showing the critical need in supporting judges as peacebuilders. Although justice systems in transitional settings are frequently badly weakened and tainted by allegations of corruption or complicity in human rights abuses, rebuilding their ability to dispense justice and regaining public trust in their integrity is indispensable to peacebuilding efforts. [Read more…]

Expert in Rule of Law Assistance is ILAC´s New Director for Assessment and Legal Analysis

March 12, 2018

Richard Sannerholm, ILAC´s Director of Assessments and Legal Analysis

ILAC is delighted to announce Richard Sannerholm as our new Director for Assessments and Legal Analysis.

For the past fifteen years Richard has worked and conducted research in the field of Rule of Law assistance in conflict and post-conflict settings. Richard has focused particularly on developing and implementing assessment and self-evaluation tools in the area of governance and Rule of Law. [Read more…]

Experts conclude investigative mission to support administrative justice reform in Tunisia

February 19, 2018

International Development and Gender Expert is the New ILAC Syria Programme Manager

January 25, 2018

ILAC is delighted to announce Guro Wiik as our new Syria Programme Manager. Guro brings to ILAC over ten years’ experience in international development, both from conflict and post-conflict settings. Throughout her career, Guro has had a particular focus on management of programmes on women’s rights and gender equality.

Guro joins ILAC from the United Nations Entity for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality (UN Women) Headquarters in New York, where she most recently held the position as Programme Specialist in the Programme Division. [Read more…]

ILAC is hiring a Director of Assessments & Legal Analysis!

December 19, 2017

The International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC), established in 2002, is a Stockholm-based association for legal practitioners and scholars from around the world who offer expert guidance to countries to rebuild justice systems after conflict. It is in these challenging contexts where through better planning, coordination, and cooperation technical assistance can be more productive, sustainable, and cost efficient. Through its fifty member organisations, ILAC represents over 3 million legal professionals – judges, lawyers, prosecutors, and court administrators – worldwide.

[Read more…]

International Criminal Court Accepts Stockholm Human Rights Award and Calls on International Community´s Cooperation

November 22, 2017

The Principals of the ICC received the Stockholm Human Rights Award from HM King Carl XVI Gustaf. Photo: Tom Knutson

The International Criminal Court (ICC) received the 2017 Stockholm Human Rights Award recognising the institution’s outstanding contribution to the rule of law and human rights at a ceremony this week.

The Principals of the ICC – President Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, and Registeur Herman von Hebel –accepted the Award collectively from His Majesty the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf.

Project Unites Syrian and Bosnian Judges for Workshop on Missing Persons and Property Rights

November 13, 2017

Bosnian and Syrian legal professionals together for workshop about missing persons and property rights

Legal professionals from Syrian and Bosnia and Herzegovina are assembled for a workshop on land issues and missing persons which started last week in Sarajevo. Co-organised by ILAC, this exchange brings together justice sector peers from two countries involved in similar conflicts .

Bosnian legal professionals will share lessons related to the role of the justice system in their peacebuilding process. This project offers Syrian judges and lawyers tools to consider which experiences could apply and work in their context and which ones would have to be addressed differently. [Read more…]

Swedish Foreign Minister appoints ILAC´s Executive Director to Women´s Mediation Network

November 6, 2017

The Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström recently appointed ILAC´s Executive Director, Agneta Johansson as one of fifteen inspiring women comprising the Swedish Women´s Mediation Network in recognition of her work in peacebuilding and rule of law.

I am very honoured to have been invited to contribute to the important work of the Women’s Mediation Network. The rule of law is a key component of sustainable peace and must be considered when determining what to include at each step of peace negotiations, says Ms. Johansson.

[Read more…]

Chatham House Hosts Seminar Highlighting ILAC’s Key Findings from 2017 Justice Sector Assessment in Syria

October 30, 2017

Chatham House and ILAC seminar on ILAC´s Syrian Assessment

Chatham House seminar on The Syrian Justice System

ILAC and Chatham House held a seminar based on ILAC’s 2017 Syria Rule of Law Assessment at Chatham House in London last Wednesday. The panel discussed non-state courts in Syria and their role in areas outside the Syrian government’s control.

Drawing on the assessment findings, ILAC´s Legal Adviser and report writer Mikael Ekman offered an outline of the judicial bodies across Syria and how they differ from the government justice system.

No effort to build rule of law starts from zero,” said Ekman. “ILAC´s Syria report is an attempt to show what is there in terms of justice sector institutions in all parts of Syria. This is where the reconstruction of Syria will start, irrespective of what a future peace will look like.

[Read more…]

ILAC Successfully Completes Rule of Law & Justice Sector Assessment Mission in Guatemala

October 23, 2017

Guatemala Rule of Law & Justice Sector Assessment Mission´s Team

Experts team having meeting in Guatemala

ILAC completed a rule of law and justice sector assessment mission in Guatemala on Friday, 20 October 2017. Our team, composed of 8 experts, investigated ongoing efforts to strengthen the rule of law in Guatemala to provide a reliable roadmap for more effective ways forward.

ILAC’s mission comes at a critical moment in Guatemala’s history, when corruption and impunity continue to pose serious challenges despite sustained efforts to reform the judicial system. [Read more…]

ILAC Welcomes the Siracusa Institute as a New Member

October 10, 2017

ILAC is delighted to welcome the The Siracusa Institute as a new member organisation.

Based in Italy, The Siracusa Institute has been working to contribute to international peace and security through the effective implementation of criminal law and criminal justice, and to promote the rule of law and the protection of human rights in criminal justice systems worldwide.

ILAC’s 2017 Annual General Meeting in Tokyo voted unanimously in favour of the Institute joining our Consortium. [Read more…]

ILAC Welcomes Shane Quinn as Our New Director of Programmes

October 5, 2017

ILAC is delighted to announce Shane Quinn as our new Director of Programmes starting today.

Shane Quinn, ILAC Director of Programmes

Shane brings to ILAC over 14 years’ experience in rule of law development, public sector governance reform and peacebuilding. He has worked in several international civil society organisations in Sweden and as a consultant in Eastern Europe and Africa.

While in Kenya, Shane managed a peacebuilding programme with civil society partners in conflict analysis and establishing platforms for non-state actors linked to the ongoing peace process in Somalia. Most recently, he co-developed a toolkit in Rule of Law in Public Administration for the UNDP and Folke Bernadotte Academy, where he was the acting Head of Rule of Law Programme. [Read more…]

In Memoriam: Cherif Bassiouni, International Criminal Law and Human Rights Champion

October 4, 2017

Prof. Cherif Bassiouni as a United Nations expert on human rights in Afghanistan. Photo: Wikipedia

It is with great sadness that members of ILAC learn of the death of Professor Cherif Bassiouni, who died peacefully at home on 25 September 2017.

Cherif Bassiouni played an influential role in a series of seminars in the late ‘90s that discussed the setting up of ILAC. He was at that time the immensely respected Professor of Law at the DePaul University College of Law.

But he was much more than a legal academic, having served with distinction on a number of United Nations Commissions, notably chairing the Commission of Experts charged with investigating violations of Humanitarian Law in former Yugoslavia, which led to the setting up of the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Cherif went on to chair various UN Committees that brought into being the International Criminal Court. More recently he led the Bahrain International Commission of Inquiry and the UN Commission of Inquiry for Libya. [Read more…]

ILAC Honours Mister Hamdi for Contributing with our Work in Tunisia

October 2, 2017

ILAC offers a give to Mr Mohamed Tahar Hamdi in Tunisia

Mr Mohamed Tahar Hamdi receives a present from ILAC´s Field Coordinator in Tunisia, Ismaël Benkhalifa.

ILAC offered Mr Mohamed Tahar Hamdi a present in sign of appreciation for his efforts to facilitate the Consortium´s Tunisia Programme. Mr Hamdi is now retiring from his position as Director General of the Judicial Training Institute (ISM). Established in 1985, the Institute provides initial training for judicial auditors and in-service training of magistrates. [Read more…]

ILAC Participates in 72^nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly

September 19, 2017

General Assembly Meeting Room, United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA.

ILAC will send a high-level delegation to attend the 72^nd Session in the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York starting today. ILAC’s delegation has been invited to join the g7+ to discuss “Accelerating Progress toward SDG 16 – Vision of Access to Justice for All in Conflict Affected Countries,” an event organised by the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone, Chair of g7+, Timor-Leste, and the g7+ Secretariat.

The General Assembly side-event will provide an opportunity for the g7+ ministers of justice to share their views on addressing priority needs and challenges for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16.

[Read more…]

International Criminal Court to Receive 2017 Stockholm Human Rights Award

September 7, 2017

The Principals of the International Criminal Court, Registrar Herman von Hebel, President, Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi and Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda. Photo: Micke Lundström

Stockholm, Sweden

ILAC congratulates the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its nomination to receive the 2017 Stockholm Human Rights Award. The prize will recognize the ICC´s work advancing international justice and strengthening respect for human rights.

The International Legal Assistance Consortium, the Swedish Bar Association and the International Bar Association bestow the Stockholm Human Rights Award annually to a person or organisation for outstanding services in the support of human rights and the rule of law. [Read more…]

New Syria Report: Launch Event in Berlin

July 26, 2017

Photo courtesy of: DAV/ Andreas Burkhardt

ILAC continued the public launch of our 2017 Syria Rule of Law Assessment report this month with an event in Berlin hosted by the German Bar Association.

ILAC’s Rule of Law Assessment Report, Syria 2017 provides a baseline for future reconciliation efforts with a comprehensive, publicly available account of the current state of the Syrian justice sector.

The July 14^th event featured ILAC’s Executive Director, Agneta Johansson, as well as Stefan von Raumer, lawyer and member of the German Bar Association’s Human Rights Committee. Both were experts on ILAC’s Syria assessment mission.

[Read more…]

Overview of ILAC/UNIFEM Gender Justice Initiative by Nina Lahoud: Presented at the Session on “Exploring ILAC Thematic Issues” at ILAC’s 2016 Annual General Meeting on 20 May in Solna, Sweden

June 30, 2017

Let me begin by saying that, based on my involvement in establishing ILAC’s gender justice initiative with the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), I feel that it is a laudable example of how consensus between two entities on an idea and strategy, rapid buy-in by management, dedicated counterparts on each side, broad outreach, and sustained donor funding can lead to an effective partnership for undertaking targeted activities. To put this observation in context, I will elaborate on how this initiative was conceived and evolved, which Agneta Johannson and Christian Ahlund know well as the lead ILAC counterparts. [Read more…]

Nina Lahoud Elected to ILAC’s Board of Directors

June 29, 2017

ILAC is delighted to welcome Nina Lahoud to ILAC’s Board of Directors. A longtime supporter and ILAC member, Nina will bring over three decades of expertise from the peacekeeping and legal development world, involving numerous United Nations assignments in conflict-affected countries, to our management team.

After leaving the law firm of Shearman & Sterling in 1983 to join the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon/UNIFIL (as the first woman Legal Adviser appointed to a mission), Nina served with the United Nations for over 33 years where she dealt extensively with legal, rule of law, peacekeeping, development and gender matters while serving in various offices at UN Headquarters and in six UN peacekeeping operations deployed in Lebanon, Namibia, Cambodia, Croatia, Kosovo and East Timor at critical historic junctures. [Read more…]

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