DEFEND
WE SUPPORT LAWYERS UNDER THREAT AND GENERATE INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION
Defend
Lawyers across the globe are looking to us for support. We travel to monitor their trials, we advocate for their cases locally, as well as with the United Nations or the European Union. We also publish reports and focus attention on lawyers who have been jailed for their work.
Through our ‘defend’ program, we defend individual lawyers at risk globally to end, mitigate, or prevent reprisals against them for doing their jobs and ensure accountability where such reprisals occur.
We do so by:
- Providing tailor-made support to individual lawyers at risk, guided by the lawyers concerned or their representatives.
- Monitoring and highlighting violations of lawyers’ rights.
- Conducting advocacy on targeted impunity cases.
- Building networks and alliances to act in coordination and solidarity.
Lawyers for Lawyers Award
The Lawyers for Lawyers Award is an biannual prize which aims to honours a lawyer or group of lawyers who work to promote the rule of law and human rights in an exceptional way and are threatened because of their work. With the award, we generate public recognition for their work and enhance the protection of lawyers who are at risk.
Trial Monitoring
We defend lawyers prosecuted for their professional activities by monitoring criminal trials to assess their compliance with international fair trial standards. Our monitors document key issues, provide recommendations to strengthen the justice system, and, in partnership with local organizations, advocate for meaningful reforms.
Shelter City
In 2024, together with the Municipality of Amstelveen, Lawyers for Lawyers has launched ‘Shelter City Amstelveen’, a shelter city dedicated to lawyers specifically. From 2025-2027, Lawyers for Lawyers and the Municipality of Amstelveen will receive one lawyer a year for 3 months, as part of the Shelter City program.
