Today, the ICJ Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers published two new documents on the independence and integrity of judges and lawyers in Venezuela.
First, the ICJ today publishes a full English translation of the detailed report Strengthening the Rule of Law in Venezuela. The report was originally published in June 2014, in Spanish only (with the executive summary and conclusions separately available in English).
The report analyses weaknesses and failures, including political interference, in the Venezuelan legal system that threaten the rule of law, democracy and human rights. It recommends certain measures to secure the independence and impartiality of judges and prosecutors, and the ability of lawyers to be effective and independent in the exercise of their profession.
Second, the ICJ has added a country profile for Venezuela to its growing series of profiles of the situation of judges, lawyers and prosecutors in countries from around the world. The profile summarizes laws and practices in Venezuela against relevant international and regional standards. The country profiles are designed to give quick access to key information in a format that provides links to source material, and also facilitates comparison between countries. It is available as an interactive webpage (with clickable links to the sources of information), and for download in PDF format.