On 8 June 2021, BHRC Chair Schona Jolly QC spoke at the New York City Bar’s event, Rule of Law & Authoritarian Ascendance: the Threat & the Legal, Policy & Societal Responses to It. The recording is now available here.
BHRC has received support and criticism for the letter that it wrote to the UK Foreign Secretary on Thursday.1 This response is intended to provide clarity on issues raised following its publication. BHRC is a separate organisation from the Bar Council and is not part of the Bar Council’s committee structure.2 Whilst BHRC operates...
NewsStatements and LettersMay 13, 2021
BHRC writes to the UK Foreign Secretary regarding the urgent and escalating situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory
The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (“BHRC”) has today written to the UK Foreign Secretary addressing the urgent and escalating situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. We have copied the letter in full below: The Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP, First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign,...
On 22 April 2021, BHRC Executive Committee Member Zimran Samuel contributed to LAWASIA’s panel event, Rule of Law, Justice & Democratic Rights in Sri Lanka. The recording is now available below. For more information about the event and to watch the keynote address by Geoffrey Robertson AO QC, please click here. The webinar was held...
NewsStatements and LettersApril 20, 2021
HONG KONG: IBAHRI and BHRC condemn the sentencing of Veteran Hong Kong pro-democracy figures
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the Bar Human Rights Committee of England & Wales (BHRC) condemn the prosecution, conviction and disproportionate sentencing of veteran Hong Kong pro-democracy figures, including Martin Lee QC, ‘father of Hong Kong democracy’, politician and legislator; Dr Margaret Ng, barrister; and media tycoon Jimmy Lai. They are...
In response to the announcement by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs of sanctions against UK lawyers, including an entire barristers’ Chambers, and the Uyghur Tribunal, Schona Jolly QC, Chair of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (“BHRC”), said: “Lawyers play a vital role in ensuring a country operates within the rule...
Last month, BHRC in partnership with the Legal Policy Research Center, a non-political, independent research institute founded by a group of Kazakhstani lawyers in April 2008. delivered a second series of training webinars to lawyers in Kazakhstan on using international human rights law, in particular the ICCPR which Kazakhstan has ratified. We covered relevant and...
NewsStatements and LettersMarch 8, 2021
USA: BHRC and IBAHRI call on President Biden to withdraw sanctions against ICC officials without delay
The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (“BHRC”) and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (“IBAHRI”) have today written to US President Joe Biden urging him to rescind Executive Order 13928 and withdraw all economic sanctions and visa restrictions placed on the ICC officials. In the letter, BHRC and IBAHRI welcome the...
NewsStatements and LettersMarch 5, 2021
SRI LANKA: Accountability for past human rights violations and adequacy of domestic mechanisms
The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (“BHRC”) and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (“IBAHRI”) are gravely concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka and join calls made during the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council (“UNHRC”) for Sri Lanka to pursue accountability for past...
NewsMarch 4, 2021
BHRC partners with the Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2021: ‘Mujer de Soldado’ (Soldier’s Woman)
The Bar Human Rights Committee has partnered with the Human Rights Watch Film Festival for the film ‘Mujer de Soldado’ (Soldier’s Woman) ‘Mujer de Soldado’ (Soldier’s Woman) is a deeply moving picture of female solidarity, and the importance of justice and accountability as a path to healing for a group of indigenous women in Peru. Magda was...
The Bar Human Rights Committee is the independent,
international human rights arm of the Bar of England
and Wales, dedicated to promoting justice and respect
for human rights through the rule of law.