Skip to main content

Human Rights Day

Human rights belong to all of us. Join us and uphold the rights of everyone, everywhere. Our rights, our future, right now.

Learn more
Close

Press releases Special Procedures

Justice is not for sale, says Special Rapporteur

28 October 2024

NEW YORK – A UN expert warned today that, in a climate of increasing economic inequality, powerful economic actors in many places use their financial clout to infringe on the independence of the judiciary.

“These improper pressures exerted by economic actors include attempts to intervene in processes to determine who becomes a judge and lobbying sitting judges to make them more receptive to their aims”, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, said in a report to the General Assembly.

“Wealthy individuals and corporations also weaponise justice systems to achieve their goals, bringing strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) that masquerade as a defence of private interests, but in fact seek to suppress legitimate criticism, oversight or resistance to their activities,” she said.

Satterthwaite set out an agenda for future investigation and encouraged all States to examine, analyse and close avenues for improper economic influence that have been overlooked.

“Ethics and integrity systems should be strengthened, loopholes closed, and judges, prosecutors and lawyers do their part to address these harms,” she said. “If not, I fear that while some voices are privileged by justice systems, others will be shut out or silenced, with devastating impacts for human rights.”

Ms. Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers. She was appointed by the Human Rights Council in October 2022.

The Experts are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent of any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity.

For further information and media requests, please write to [email protected]

For media enquiries regarding other UN independent experts, please contact Dharisha Indraguptha ([email protected]) or John Newland ([email protected])

Follow news related to the UN's independent human rights experts on X: @UN_SPExperts.

VIEW THIS PAGE IN: