International Lawyers Delegation to Colombia, August 2008

The Law Society is pleased to have assisted a group of UK lawyers who published a report, on 6 May 2009, into the daily threats to the lives of Colombian human rights lawyers.

More than 400 Colombian lawyers have been murdered since 1991. No-one has been prosecuted for these killings.

The report from an international delegation – the Caravana Internacional de Juristas - documents the threats, assaults, disappearances and killings of human rights advocates and the failure of the Colombian authorities to investigate.

In August 2008, 42 UK lawyers, facilitated by the Law Society, participated in a fact finding mission to Colombia to investigate the situation of human rights lawyers in the country.

The multinational Caravana comprised approximately 70 lawyers from around the world to provide a human shield to lawyers at risk and to make representations to the authorities and fact finding on what can be done to support and protect Colombian human rights in the future.

Read a recent UK press article

Read recent Spanish language press article

Read the report in English

Read the report in Spanish

Listen to a podcast here

Click here for summary of what happened on the delegation.  Read the article in the Gazette here.

The visit had been requested by ACADEUM (Asociación Colombiana de Abogados Defensores de Derechos Humanos), the Association of Colombian Human Rights Defenders, and the delegation met lawyers, the judiciary, academics and non-governmental organisations working in the human rights field. The Law Society had been asked to facilitate delegates from England and Wales.  The delegates were self-funding and ACADEUM organised the logistics in-country.

Situation in Colombia for lawyers

Lawyers in Colombia often receive threats to themselves and to their families and some have had to go into exile. Colombia has suffered a period of forty five years of conflict. It is hoped that a resolution of the conflict will be found in the near future.

Colombia is the only country in Latin America that does not have a professional association for lawyers. Lawyers have no bar association or law society to represent their views, to protect them as a group or to promote the profession as a component of the rule of law and the democratic system. They are regulated by the State and have no independent control of admission to the profession.

Organisations such as Peace Brigades International provide a human shield for lawyers by accompanying them in their daily business, and Avocats sans Frontieres provide practical support for the foundation of an independent representative body.

Summary of what happened on the delegation Click here

Reports and general background documents Click here.

Criminalistation of Lawyers

Read more on the Criminalisation of lawyers

Inter American System Read More

Colombia and the EU Read More 

Training Day

Delegates attended a Training Day which looked at Justice and the Legal system in Colombia. Speakers included Tony Kay, head of the Andean section, Foreign Office and Liam Craig Best, Justice for Colombia.  Read more

Briefing Documents

Colombian Constitution 1991 Read

See attached documents below for more information about the delegation.

Click here to find out about other Colombia initiatives.