Tribute to Edward Mortimer, CHRI's International Board member and former aide to the late Kofi Annan, UN SG
Edward Mortimer, former CHRI International Board member, journalist, speech writer to the late Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General, author and member of All Souls College, Oxford University, has passed away in England, aged 77.
CHRI Marks World Day Against Child Labour
Today the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) marks the World Day Against Child Labour with the release of a new video, ‘A conversation with Homes of Hope Fiji, Aparajeyo-Bangladesh and NACTAL Nigeria’. As Secretariat to the Commonwealth 8.7 Network, CHRI spoke with member organisations that work to end child labour and exploitation in Fiji, Bangladesh, and Nigeria.
Jail Mail-Release of CHRI’s Report ‘Disconnected: Videoconferencing and Fair Trial’
Restricted functioning of physical courts owing to the pandemic has resulted in courts experimenting with videoconference hearings. Conducting criminal trials through videoconferencing however can result in several fair trial rights being compromised.
International Director’s Message on the Release of CHRI’s Report ‘Disconnected: Videoconferencing and Fair Trial Rights’
Courts across the world have had to adapt to virtual hearings as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions. While many justify this as necessary, due to the hazards of in person hearings, studies from various jurisdictions have highlighted that fair trial rights are compromised during virtual criminal proceedings.
Disconnected- Videoconferencing And Fair Trial Rights
‘Disconnected: Videoconferencing and Fair Trial Rights’, documents the experiences of 20 criminal lawyers and 10 judicial officers of criminal trial courts across the country, to understand the implications that videoconferencing hearings have on the fair trial rights of accused, especially of those who participate in these proceedings from prison.
Video Conferencing Hearings and You
The Poster titled 'Video Conferencing Hearings and You' is aimed at generating awareness among prisoners on the concept of court hearings through Video Conferencing (VC) and addressing common queries in this regard, including basic rights of prisoners in VC hearings. The poster is available in Malayalam, Hindi, Bangla and Kannada.
Jail Mail: Prisons and Parliament – Budget Session 2021
The last Parliament session- the 'Budget Session 2021' began on 29th January and concluded two weeks ahead of the schedule on 25th March 2021 after both the houses adjourned sine die. The session was held in two parts with a recess in between from 16th February till 7th March.
CHRI writes to the CJI seeking directions to address concerns of rising COVID-19 cases in prisons
In light of the increased infections within prisons and as the country faces the second wave of the pandemic, CHRI writes to the Chief Justice of India, urging him to take cognizance of the situation and direct the High Powered Committees to review the situation in prisons in the state.
CHRI writes to the CJI seeking directions to address concerns of rising COVID-19 cases in prisons
In light of the increased infections within prisons and as the country faces the second wave of the pandemic, CHRI writes to the Chief Justice of India, urging him to take cognizance of the situation and direct the High Powered Committees to review the situation in prisons in the state.
Jail Mail : "The bitter truth is that our prisons are overcrowded..."
The 23rd of March 2020 marks a year since the lockdown and the directions of the Supreme Court on reducing the overcrowding in prisons after taking sou motu cognizance of the risks of COVID inside prisons. The order asked State Governments to set up High-Powered Committees (HPC) to identify categories for release of prisoners and monitor the same.