About

Born at the ideological frontline of a divided post-war Berlin, the ICJ was established in memory of a West German lawyer, Dr. Walter Linse, Acting President of the Association of Free German Jurists. Active in exposing human rights violations committed in the Soviet zone, he denounced arbitrary arrests, secret trials, and detention in labour camps and was to pay dearly for this courage. On 8 July 1952, East German intelligence agents abducted and delivered Linse to the KGB. Despite the protests of 20,000 Berlin citizens against his abduction and public pleas by Chancellor Adenauer for his release, Dr Linse was executed in Moscow one year later for "espionage".

This event led to the decision by a group of lawyers to found an organisation dedicated to the defence of human rights through the rule of law. Its inaugural conference in 1952, convened by a group of New York-based attorneys, was attended by thirty one ministers and statesmen, thirty five judges, counsel and presidents of high courts from Eastern and Western Europe and North America. Their agenda was largely shaped by cold war concerns including the denunciation of human rights abuses in the Soviet zone. A J M Bart van Dal (Netherlands) was elected as Secretary-General of the young organisation whose offices were established in The Hague.

The ICJ was legally registered as an international non-governmental organisation and had eleven commissioners, including senior cabinet ministers and serving judges. The special nature of the organisation ensured privileged access to government. Cold war dynamics of the organisation were quickly adapted, with Swedish and Greek lawyers seeking to expand ICJ efforts to highlight grave injustices in apartheid South Africa, Franco's Spain and Peronist Argentina. In the following decade the membership of the Commission expanded to truly represent global interests.

The first international Congress in Athens, Greece adopted “The Act of Athens” which insisted that the State is bound by the law, and that governments must respect human rights under the Rule of Law. It began to set out the special role of judges and lawyers in preserving the independence of their professions.

Norman S. Marsh appointed Secretary-General, directing efforts to develop a clear and universal definition of the Rule of Law, encompassing the world’s different legal traditions.

Dr. Jean-Flavien Lalive continued this work following his appointment as Secretary-General, and moved the ICJ to Geneva to bring it closer to the United Nations, physically and politically. He began more pronounced support for the development of international standards and enforcement procedures and mechanisms.

At the congresses in New Delhi (1959), Lagos (1961) and Rio de Janeiro (1962), the ICJ defined principles of Rule of Law and Human Rights, in particular on procedural and substantive safeguards for the proper administration of justice. The Declaration of Delhi proved seminal, with its conception of the Rule of Law as “a dynamic concept for the expansion and fulfilment of which jurists are primarily responsible and which should be employed…to safeguard and advance [human] rights.”

Sean MacBride appointed Secretary-General, following a short tenure by Sir Leslie Munro. He assembled a global coalition of non-governmental organisations to advocate for the creation of a United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; an international criminal court; and a world court on human rights. MacBride won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974, in significant part as a result of his work with the ICJ.

Niall MacDermot appointed Secretary-General and served for 22 years. He tirelessly championed work on international standard setting, advocacy at the UN and other bodies for international responses to grave human rights crises, country reports and trial observations and efforts to develop the capacity of lawyers at the national level to defend human rights. The ICJ made significant contributions to developing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment.

During this decade, the ICJ helped establish the Andean Commission of Jurists, the Inter-African Union of Lawyers, the Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia, and the South Asian Association for the Right to Development. The ICJ sent observers to significant political trials on 56 occasions in Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.

First fact-finding mission to Chile to examine the violations of human rights following the military coup.

urged Heads of State in Africa to adopt an African Human Rights Convention and an African Commission on Human Rights. President Senghor of Senegal proposed the OAU resolution that led to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The ICJ secured the 26 ratifications needed to bring it into force.

ICJ’ s report on the atrocities under Idi Amin’s regime in Uganda had a decisive effect on the policies of several governments, and for which the ICJ was thanked in the UN General Assembly by President Binaisa after Amin’s overthrow.

Creation of the Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, which was instrumental in the formulation and adoption of the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary and the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers and its mandate is to work for their implementation. The CIJL undertakes country missions to evaluate the condition of the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession and works to protect lawyers and judges under persecution or harassment for carrying out their legitimate professional functions.

MacDermot proposed a United Nations convention on forced disappearances.

Promoting Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The ICJ gathered a group of international law experts to consider the scope of the obligations of States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and develop the Limburg Principles, which continue to guide international law in the area of economic, social and cultural rights.

Adama Dieng appointed Secretary-General and strengthened co-operation with institutions such as the Organization of African Unity and the Council of Europe.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the Limburg Principles, the ICJ convened thirty experts, who developed the Maastricht Guidelines which expanded upon the nature, scope and appropriate remedies for violations of economic, social and cultural rights.

The International Criminal Court established with the adoption of the Rome Statute. This was the direct result of an international conference on impunity, organised by the ICJ under the auspices of the United Nations in 1992. The ICJ played a leading role in the International NGO steering committee, whose advocacy was essential to the successful outcome achieved in Rome.

The International Congress adopted the Berlin Declaration on Upholding Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Combating Terrorism, with 11 basic principles to ensure that counter-terrorism measures are human rights compliant.

The ICJ convened the Eminent Persons Panel of eight experts who spent three years conducting a worldwide investigation into the impact of counter-terrorism laws and practice on human rights globally. The panel held 16 hearings covering 40 countries. The report concluded many States’ counter-terrorism measures had undermined the Rule of Law and human rights.

The ICJ established an expert Legal Panel on Corporate Complicity in International Crimes. The Congress adopted the Geneva Declaration on Upholding the Rule of Law and the Role of Judges and Lawyers in Times of Crisis, setting out the 13 core principles for judges and the legal profession to ensure the protection of human rights and Rule of Law during periods of crisis.

The ICJ and the University of Maastricht promoted adoption of the Maastricht Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations of States in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. These international legal principles clarify the legal obligations of States beyond their own borders.

The ICJ’s Business and Human Rights team begin to participate in discussions to develop a legally binding instrument on business and human rights to regulate business enterprises, especially transnational corporations, and increase accountability for human rights abuses and violations linked to their activities. These discussions are ongoing.

The ICJ works with members of the judiciary in Asia to develop and implement the Bangkok General Guidance for Judges on Applying a Gender Perspective, aimed at increasing women’s access to justice across the region.

Launch of the Global Accountability Initiative on accountability for gross human rights violations and crimes under international law. This includes our work on development of a potential Standing Independent Investigative Mechanism and inputs into the Draft Convention on Crimes Against Humanity.

Following five years of engagement and consultation with jurists and human rights groups from around the world, the ICJ published the March 8 Principles, setting out a human rights-based approach to criminal laws that penalise conduct associated with homelessness, poverty, sex, reproduction, drug use and HIV.

Since 2001, the ICJ has been led by Louise Doswald-Beck (2001-2003); Nicholas Howen (2004-2008) ; Wilder Tayler (2009-2017) ; Sam Zarifi (2017 - 2022 ) and Santiago Canton (2023 - present)