NCJ Number
70096
Date Published
1980
Length
52 pages
Annotation
The 1979 activities and achievements of Justice, the British section on the International Commission of Jurists are discussed, and committee reports and publication are described.
Abstract
The organization was formed through a common endeavor of laywers representing the three main political parties to uphold the principles of justice and the right to a fair trial. Committee efforts in 1979 include the publication of four reports on a variety of subjects, such as 'The Citizen and his Council,' 'The Truth and the Courts,' a report on British nationality, and a report on decriminalization. In addition to published works, the organization has continued to attempt to rectify miscarriages of justice occurring in the United Kingdom. The committee concluded that British legal institutions have fallen behind those of other countries, and that it is only in the United Kingdom that the deprivation of liberty is accompanied by loss of most of the prisoner's civil rights. Compensation for wrongful imprisonment is one example of an area in which reform is mandatory. Recommendations of the Royal Commission on Legal Services support these findings, but action by appropriate authorities is required to adopt necessary changes. Membership in the British section totaled 1,602 individuals and 123 corporations in 1979. A list of approximately 75 publications is provided.