Call for input of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers for the next thematic report on Indigenous justice
Issued by
Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
Deadline
13 December 2024
Issued by
Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
Deadline
13 December 2024
Human rights standards enshrine Indigenous Peoples’ right to equality before the law, as well as the right to maintain, strengthen, revitalize, and use their own justice systems as a facet of the right to self-determination. As the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has explained, “Access to ordinary justice continues to be severely limited for indigenous peoples” (A/HRC/42/37). At the same time, despite the valuable contributions of Indigenous justice mechanisms in resolving disputes and realizing rights, the recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ traditional justice systems and customary laws remains limited. In response to these issues, the Special Rapporteur’s forthcoming report will examine both good practices and remaining challenges to the recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ justice systems.
Submissions will help inform the Special Rapporteur’s views and understanding of the issues. The report will include relevant and achievable recommendations for Member States and other stakeholders and will be made available on her website and other channels.
All submissions are welcome and the topics below are not exhaustive. However, the Special Rapporteur would be grateful for comments that address one or more of the following topics. She is particularly eager to receive submissions that take an intersectional, gender-sensitive, and decolonial approach.
State recognition of Indigenous justice mechanisms
Have Indigenous Peoples in your country/State been included in transitional justice processes if there have been any? If yes, what measures and types of reparation have been put in place?
Indigenous peoples’ access to justice
Please send your submission via email to [email protected] by 13 December 2024 at the latest, with the subject: Submission to report on Indigenous Justice. Only submissions sent to this email and received by the deadline will be considered and made public on the mandate’s webpage.
Respondents are requested to limit their contributions, in English, French, or Spanish, to a maximum of 2,500 words. Additional supporting materials, such as reports, academic studies, and other background materials may be linked in the body of the submission or annexed to the submission.
The Special Rapporteur greatly appreciates the effort that goes into making such contributions and looks forward to reading all submissions.
Please feel free to circulate this call for inputs widely in your networks.