UN Special Rapporteurs on Erosion of International Law and Judicial Independence

Concerns Regarding International Justice and Human Rights

• 🌍 Professor Ben Saul expressed concerns about the Gaza peace plan, stating it doesn't meet international law standards, fails to address root causes like Palestinian self-determination, and risks resuming violence.
• 🚀 Saul also condemned US strikes on suspected drug traffickers on the high seas as illegal killings under international law, lacking authority and violating maritime law.
• ⚖️ He criticized the trend of listing drug cartels as terrorist organizations, arguing for separate legal frameworks under criminal law and addressing demand and supply sides of the drug problem.
• ⚠️ Saul highlighted the increasing use of counterterrorism laws to stigmatize and suppress protected human rights activities, including political parties, activists, and journalists, in both authoritarian and liberal democracies.

Attacks on the Independence of International Judges and Lawyers

• 🚨 Margaret Satterthwaite detailed serious attacks on the independence of international judges, prosecutors, and lawyers, particularly targeting the International Criminal Court (ICC).
• 🚫 Measures like travel bans, asset freezes, and restrictions on cooperation have been imposed by states like Russia, the US, and Israel in response to ICC investigations and arrest warrants.
• 🇺🇸 Satterthwaite noted US sanctions against ICC judges and prosecutors, reportedly to shield US and Israeli officials from war crimes charges, calling it a threat to national security and allies.
• 📉 These actions create a chilling effect on cooperation with the ICC, undermining its role, especially where national courts are unable or unwilling to prosecute atrocity crimes.
• ⚖️ She emphasized that the independence of judges and lawyers is not optional but an obligation, urging states to protect the ICC and its professionals from intimidation and political interference.

Upholding International Law and Judicial Integrity

• ✊ Both Rapporteurs stressed the importance of states respecting the ICC's independence and protecting its personnel, calling for an end to double standards in international justice.
• 🗣️ They urged Russia to stop targeting ICC judges, Israel to reject legislative efforts shielding officials, and the US to rescind sanctions.
• 📢 Ordinary citizens can make a difference by speaking out in support of the rule of law, campaigning on streets and in media, and supporting bar associations that defend independent justice operators.
• 🤝 The ICC's role is crucial as a legacy of Nuremberg, ensuring accountability for the gravest crimes when national systems fail, and is a threat to war criminals, not to sovereignty.