- The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said civil rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan’s conviction for criminal contempt of court by the Supreme Court seemed to be
- Inconsistent with the freedom of expression law guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that India was a party to.
- In a statement, the ICJ, an international human rights organisation comprising judges and lawyers, said it joined 1,800 Indian lawyers in calling for the Supreme Court to review the standards of criminal contempt.
- Bhushan was convicted on August 14 and sentenced to pay a fine of Re.1 on Monday for the two tweets he had posted about the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde.
- “While the Court only imposed a symbolic fine of one rupee, rather than imprisonment, the ICJ considers that the conviction appears to be inconsistent with international standards on freedom of expression and the role of lawyers”.
- While some restrictions of freedom of expression are permitted by international standards,
- a particularly wide scope must be preserved for debate and discussion about such matters
- as the role of the judiciary, access to justice, and democracy, by members of the public, including through public commentary on the courts.
- The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is an international human rights non-governmental organization.
- It is a standing group of 60 eminent jurists—including senior judges, attorneys and academics—who work to develop national and international human rights standards through the law.
- Commissioners are known for their experience, knowledge and fundamental commitment to human rights.
- The composition of the Commission aims to reflect the geographical diversity of the world and its many legal systems.
- The Commission is supported by an International Secretariat based in Geneva, Switzerland, and staffed by lawyers drawn from a wide range of jurisdictions and legal traditions.
- The Secretariat and the Commission undertake advocacy and policy work aimed at strengthening the role of lawyers and judges in protecting and promoting human rights and the rule of law.
