Must Read: New ABA Abroad Column on the Peace Process in Colombia

Far view of the Las Lajas Sanctuary and its surroundings,
a basilica church located in the southern Department of Nariño, municipality of Ipiales, Colombia.

The recent ABA Abroad Column highlights the peace process in Colombia and, with the long-standing support of the American Bar Association, the work lawyers, prosecutors, and judges are facilitating to provide justice for the victims of the 50-year armed conflict in the country.

"The transitional justice mechanism in Colombia must now meet the challenges of providing justice more broadly to victims of atrocities that occurred during the war. The ABA Center for Human Rights has therefore supported efforts to ensure that the transitional justice system can perform its duties effectively and impartially. It provided background research on candidates for judges for the special jurisdiction and is monitoring the trial against a former army commander, Mario Montoya Uribe, for his role in the alleged extrajudicial killing of more than 3,000 civilians. By observing the trial, the center hopes to encourage adherence to fair trial standards and respect for the rights of the victims during the proceedings. The ABA Rule of Law Initiative recently launched a new project in Colombia to support the justice sector more broadly."

Read the full article, "Lawyers and judges are on the front lines of the peace process in Colombia," written by Brittany Benowitz, Director of the ABA Center for Human Right’s Justice Defenders program; and Juan Ramírez, staff attorney with the ABA Center for Human Right’s Justice Defenders program.


Comments