NCJ Number
138957
Journal
EuroCriminology Volume: 3 Dated: (1990) Pages: 233-236
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The "Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary," as adopted by the Seventh United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in September 1985, are reproduced.
Abstract
This set of basic principles emphasizes the need for the State to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and for this principle to be embedded in the Constitution or law of the country. The principles declare that justice requires a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent, and impartial tribunal for every individual, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other United Nations instruments. Further, an independent judiciary is indispensable to the implementation of this right. Formulated principally with professional judges in mind, these basic priciples also apply equally, as appropriate, to lay judges. The principles address the independence of the judiciary; freedom of expression and association; qualifications, selection, and training; conditions of service and tenure; professional secrecy and immunity; and discipline, suspension, and removal.