We advocate for laws, policies and practices that ensure protection for the independence and safety of lawyers

Influence

We advocate for a free and independent legal profession. You will find us regularly presenting at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, as well as actively seeking audiences with representatives of individual governments. In the Netherlands, we organise meetings for Dutch lawyers to make them aware of the difficulties being faced by their colleagues.

We advocate for laws, policies and practices that provide or reinforce effective protections for the independent functioning and safety of lawyers in accordance with internationally recognized laws and standards.

We’ll do so by:

  • Engaging with international bodies and their mechanisms to advocate for standards, resolutions and recommendations that strengthen the independence and safety of lawyers.
  • Lobbying governments to adopt, implement and enforce effective legal protections and change laws as necessary that encroach on the independence of lawyers.

Consultative status

Lawyers for Lawyers has been granted the special consultative status by the UN Economic and Social Council, also known as the ECOSOC status. The status gives us the right to participate in meetings of the Council, its functional commissions and other subsidiary bodies.

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Fact finding missions

Reports of missions in which independent experts present their findings about the information they have gathered and the research they have done into the facts about a particular situation or conflict, are valuable sources of information for the United Nations and other state institutions and organizations to be able to act.

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Influence news

25 June 2024

UN Side Event: The role of judges, prosecutors and lawyers in safeguarding democracies

Side-event at the UN 56th Session of the Human Rights Council, The role of judges, prosecutors and lawyers in safeguarding democracies 25 June 2023 14:00 – 15:00 CEST This side-event (click here for flyer) will address the rise of an

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15 June 2024

Lawyers for Lawyers launches Access to Justice Campaign

In recent years, Lawyers for Lawyers has received many reports about harassment from lawyers representing clients with an LGBTIQ+ identity or are perceived as such. Around the world, lawyers are being threatened because of their work on these cases. To

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24 April 2024

UN Special rapporteur condemns China’s targeting of human rights lawyers in letter to the government

China

The UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, issued a detailed letter on February 14, 2024, addressing the People’s Republic of China about severe restrictions on human rights lawyers. Recently made public, this letter exposes

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2 April 2024

Recap Speaker Tour with lawyer from the Philippines: Czarina Musni

Philippines

From 18 to 22 March, Lawyers for Lawyers organized a Speaker Tour with Czarina, a human rights lawyer from the Philippines. As part of the Speaker Tour, Czarina and Lawyers for Lawyers spoke to lawyers from the law firms Vondst

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27 March 2024

Oral statement to Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in Colombia

Colombia

On 22 March 2024, Lawyers for Lawyers delivered an oral statement during the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council. Lawyers for Lawyers raised grave concerns concerning the continuous violation of the rights of lawyers in Colombia. Lawyers for Lawyers

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27 March 2024

Oral statement to Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation

Russian Federation

On 25 March 2024, Lawyers for Lawyers, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, the Law Society of England and Wales, and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, delivered an oral statement during the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

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21 March 2024

Joint oral statement to Human Rights Council on Belarus

Belarus

On 19 March 2024, Lawyers for Lawyers, the Law Society of England and Wales, and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute delivered an oral statement during the interactive dialogue on the interim oral update of the High Commissioner on the situation of

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25 January 2024

Tunisia – Release “Lawyers Under the Watch”

Tunisia

OMCT Joint Paper Addressing the Increasing Number of Prosecutions Against Lawyers in Tunisia Lawyers for Lawyers is pleased to announce the publication of a joint paper titled “Lawyers Under the Watch,” a comprehensive examination of the growing challenges legal professionals

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