BHRC trial report on latest stage of Selahattin Demirtaş v Turkey confirms ECtHR finding that continued detention is politically motivated

The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales has published its interim report in the ongoing cases of Selahattin Demirtaş v Turkey and Veysel Ok v Turkey.  Mr Demirtaş is the well-known former member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (Parliament) and Presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Turkey’s third largest political...

BHRC publishes event report on Parliamentary session “Hiding in Plain Sight-the extraordinary scale of human rights violations in Xinjiang, China”

On Wednesday 26th June 2019, the Bar Human Rights Committee in conjunction with the All Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group, held an important panel discussion in Parliament to consider the treatment of Turkic Muslims in the Xinjiang region of China and to explore how to hold China to account for human rights violations there. It...

BHRC joins International Coalition of Legal Organisations raising concern for Turkey’s lawyers and judges

BHRC is part of an international coalition of legal organisations who have submitted a joint Stakeholder Submission to the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review for Turkey. Alongside BHRC, the coalition includes the Law Society of England & Wales; International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute; Bar Human Rights Committee of England & Wales; Conseil...

BHRC has issued a public statement raising serious concern over the “Gezi Park” trial of sixteen leading civil society individuals, including Osman Kavala and Yiğit Aksakoğlu, which resumes tomorrow in Istanbul. BHRC Chair, Schona Jolly QC, observed the opening of the trial in June 2019 and will continue to monitor the trial this week through our...

The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) writes to express its alarm and concern at the raids conducted by the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation early this morning at the homes and offices of Senior Advocates Indira Jaising and Anand Grover in New Delhi and Mumbai. We understand this follows the filing...

BHRC appoints Baroness Helena Kennedy QC and Professors Christine Chinkin and Kevin Jon Heller to Advisory Board

BHRC has appointed three prominent international law experts to its advisory board, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC and Professors Christine Chinkin and Kevin Jon Heller.  BHRC’s Advisory Board is made up of previous BHRC Office Holders, senior members of the Bar and the judiciary, and individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment and/or service to the field...

Hong Kong’s “ill conceived” extradition proposals “fundamentally imperil the operation of the rule of law” say leading international law organisations.

The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales, the Law Society of England & Wales, the Human Rights Committee of the Law Society of England and Wales, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, the Defence Extradition Lawyer’s Forum, the International Forum of Extradition Specialists,  and  Fair Trials  have co-authored observations on the human...

BHRC Chair & IBAHRI Director Issue Joint Statement raising concern over Hong Kong Fugitive Law for Conference on Extradition and Human Rights

BHRC Chair Schona Jolly QC and IBAHRI Director Helena Kennedy QC have issued the following joint statement for the Centre for Comparative and Public Law Conference “Extradition and Human Rights: Does the Hong Kong Government’s Bill Provide Sufficient Safeguard for Our Rights“: The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) and the Human...