PCHR publishes the English translation of the Arabic Press release of 14th May 2000, from the Secretariat General of the Arab Lawyers Union, condemning the decision of the Acting Council of the Palestinian Bar Association to remove some Human Rights Lawyers from the Roll of Practicing Lawyers.
Secretariat General
The Arab Lawyers Union
Communique n.225
Press release, 14th May 2000
The Secretariat General expresses its deep concern about the decision of the Acting Council of the Palestinian Bar Association to remove the names of some Human Rights Lawyers from the Roll of Practicing Lawyers which informs some of the Palestinian Human Rights activist lawyers, such as members of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and other Human Rights Organisations of their suspension as practicing lawyers.
This is a decision with no precedent among any Arab Bar Association in the region. In addition it constitutes a real threat for civil society institutions which are working in the field of human rights. Furthermore, the decision has a negative impact on the role of lawyers who are carrying out their professional duties by providing the right of defense and overall guarantee general rights for their people, as private lawyers, and as human rights activists defending democracy and the rule of law .
The Palestinian Human Rights Organisations have all along worked with the lawyers, their Bar Association in the arena of national and human rights of Palestinians, under the Israeli Occupation and under the PNA. During all this time, lawyers have always initiated their commitment to the cause, not only for Palestine but for all the Arab world.
The Secretariat General while preparing to submit the Palestinian Bar Association Law to its permanent Union Office, in its meeting to be held in Algeria from 27th to30th May 2000, is hoping meanwhile, that the Acting Council of the Palestinian Bar Association will organise itself to hold proper elections in accordance with the law. Instead, the Acting Council has issued a decision which negatively impact on a proper environment and conditions in order to unify the Palestinian Lawyers from all sectors of the society and give them the opportunity to express freely their views. In this regard, the Arab Lawyer Union considers the decision as an arbitrary one. In addition, this decision will negatively affect the future of the Palestinian Bar Association and the possibility to have a functioning institution which reflects the will of the lawyers.
The Secretariat General while condemning the decision taken, calls upon the Acting Council of the Palestinian Bar Association to redress the situation through adopting the necessary measures to guarantee the full rights of lawyers to be members of the Palestinian Bar Association, and for them to be able to exercise fully, freely and independently their profession and to defend human rights and the rule of law.
