03 October 2023

Human rights and women’s rights NGOs condemn and strongly reject Sharia Bar Association’s decision in its 34^th session held on 25 September 2023 on regulating lawyers’ work in these organizations and the serious violations of law. The decision’s provisions lie beyond the Bar Association’s authorities, and they are as follows:

• The content of the decision violates the Trade Unions Act and Palestinian Cabinet’s Resolution No. (6/269/11/M.W./A.H.) of 2012 regarding the sharia lawyers’ regulation. The decision restricts female and male lawyers’ work in human rights and women’s rights NGOs in terms of pleading certain cases and categorizes them in separate records.  Thus, it has deprived them of having an open membership card like other female and male lawyers.
• The Bar Association has violated the NGOs Act and the Companies Law by interfering in the work of human rights and women’s rights NGOs that provide legal services to the most vulnerable groups in the Palestinian society. It has also limited these NGOs’ legal activities.
• The Bar Association’s role lies in defending and promoting lawyers’ interests, so it does not have the authority to issue decisions that are in violation of law. It shall also regulate female and male Sharia lawyers’ work without imposing restrictions or jeopardizing their rights.  Thus, what came in this decision violates the principle of justice codified in trade union rights.

The human rights and women’s rights NGOs call on the Sharia Bar Association to revoke the decision and urge all relevant official authorities to exert pressure on the Bar Association to repeal it as it violates all applicable Palestinian laws.Signatories:– Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)- Center for Women’s Legal Research, Counselling and Protection (CWLRCP)- Women’s Affairs Technical Committee-Aisha Association for Woman and Child Protection- Women’s Affairs Center- Union ofHealth Work Committees(UHWC)- Wefaq Association for Women and Child Care- Al-Ataa Charitable Society- Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution- Women’s Health Center run by Palestine Red Crescent Society- Culture & Free Thought Association (CFTA)- Women’s Health Center-Bureij Refugee Camp- Palestinian Developmental Women Studies Association– Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees(UPWC)– Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development– Rural Women’s Development Society