The CIJL intervenes with governments in cases of harassment or persecution and works with the United Nations in setting standards for the independence of judges and lawyers.
The CIJL was instrumental in the formulation of the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary endorsed in 1985 by the UN General Assembly. We are now working with the UN on similar principles on the role of lawyers.
We recognise the importance of moving forward at the local level to turn these principles from mere declarations into living reality. To this end, we have begun a series of regional and national seminars in which government officials, judges, lawyers, academics and human rights activists meet to examine the obstacles faced by the judiciary and legal profession and to discuss means of overcoming those obstacles.
In 1987, a South Asia regional seminar was held in Kathmandu at which important conclusions and recommendations were adopted to further the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession in the region. It was also agreed to undertake national follow-up seminars.
We were thus very pleased that the Ministry of Law and Justice of Pakistan and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) agreed to join us in organising a national seminar on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers in Pakistan on 9 and 10 November, 1989.
Pakistan-independence of judges and lawyers-seminar report-1989-eng (full text in English, PDF)