Report| Independence of Lawyers and Judges
International Law Observer analyzes the Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, issued 24 March 2009. The report was endorsed by the Human Rights Council during its twelfth session this past October. Read more
Special Rapporteur on Torture Denied Entry to Zimbabwe, Secretary-General Disappointed
Officials in Zimbabwe denied entry into the country of Manfred Nowak, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Read more
U.N. Rights Expert on Use of Unmanned Drones by U.S.
Philip Alston, the U.N. Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, has voiced concern over the use of unmanned drones by the U.S. to target militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The independent human rights expert said such a practice will be regarded as a breach of international law unless Washington can demonstrate that the appropriate precautions and accountability mechanisms are in place. Read more
