RES/30/7 Human rights in the administration of justice, including juvenile justice

Human Rights Council Thirtieth session

Agenda item 3

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 1 October 2015

30/7. Human rights in the administration of justice, including

juvenile justice

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all relevant international

treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention

on the Rights of the Child, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or

Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Optional Protocol thereto, as well as the

International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance,

and encouraging all States that have not ratified or acceded to the aforementioned treaties to

consider doing so expeditiously,

Bearing in mind the numerous other international standards and norms in the field of

the administration of justice, in particular of juvenile justice, including the Standard

Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, the United Nations Standard Minimum

Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules), the Basic Principles for

the Treatment of Prisoners, the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under

Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention

of Juvenile Delinquency (the Riyadh Guidelines), the United Nations Rules for the

Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty, the Guidelines for Action on Children in

the Criminal Justice System, the Guidelines on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims

and Witnesses of Crime, the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime

and Abuse of Power, the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and

Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules), the Bangalore

Principles of Judicial Conduct, the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-

custodial Measures (the Tokyo Rules) and the United Nations Principles and Guidelines on

Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems,

Welcoming the adoption of the revised United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for

the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules),

Recalling all resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights, the Human Rights

Council, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council relevant to the

subject, in particular Human Rights Council resolutions 18/12 of 29 September 2011, 24/12

of 26 September 2013 and 25/6 of 27 March 2014, General Assembly resolutions 67/166 of

20 December 2012 and 69/172 of 18 December 2014, and Economic and Social Council

resolution 2009/26 of 30 July 2009,

Noting with appreciation the work of all special procedures of the Human Rights

Council that address human rights in the administration of justice in the discharge of their

mandates,

Noting with interest the work of all human rights treaty body mechanisms on human

rights in the administration of justice, in particular the adoption by the Human Rights

Committee of its general comments No. 21 (1992) on humane treatment of prisoners

deprived of their liberty, No. 32 (2007) on the right to equality before courts and tribunals

and to a fair trial, and No. 35 (2014) on liberty and security of person, and noting with

interest also the adoption by the Committee on the Rights of the Child of its general

comments No. 10 (2007) on children’s rights in juvenile justice, and No. 13 (2011) on the

right of the child to freedom from all forms of violence,

Noting with appreciation the important work in the field of the administration of

justice of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the

Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children and the

Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict,

Convinced that the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, the integrity of

the judicial system and an independent legal profession are essential prerequisites for the

protection of human rights, the rule of law, good governance and democracy, and for

ensuring that there is no discrimination in the administration of justice, and should therefore

be respected in all circumstances,

Emphasizing that the right of access to justice for all, including access to legal aid,

forms an important basis for strengthening the rule of law through the administration of

justice,

Welcoming, in this regard, the inclusion in sustainable development goal 16, on the

promotion of just, peaceful and inclusive societies, of the target to promote the rule of law

at the national and international levels and to ensure equal access to justice for all,

Recalling that every State should provide an effective framework in which to pursue

remedies to redress human rights violations or grievances,

Recalling also that the social rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners shall be

among the essential aims of the criminal justice system so as to ensure, as far as possible,

that offenders are willing and able to lead a law-abiding and self-supporting life upon their

return to society,

Recognizing the importance of the principle that, except for those lawful limitations

that are demonstrably necessitated by incarceration, persons deprived of their liberty retain

their non-derogable human rights and all other human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Concerned about the negative impact of overincarceration and overcrowding on the

enjoyment of human rights, and acknowledging that overincarceration constitutes one of

the major underlying causes of overcrowding,

Aware of the need for special vigilance with regard to the specific situation of

children, juveniles and women in the administration of justice, in particular while they are

deprived of their liberty, and their vulnerability to violence, abuse, injustice and

humiliation,

Encouraging continued regional and cross-regional efforts, the sharing of best

practices and the provision of technical assistance in the field of juvenile justice,

welcoming in this regard the holding of the World Congress on Juvenile Justice in Geneva,

from 26 to 30 January 2015, and noting with interest its final declaration,

Reaffirming that the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration in all

decisions concerning the deprivation of liberty and, in particular, that depriving children

and juveniles of their liberty should be used only as a measure of last resort and for the

shortest appropriate period of time, in particular before trial, and the need to ensure that, if

they are arrested, detained or imprisoned, children should be separated from adults to the

greatest extent feasible, unless it is considered in the child’s best interest not to be,

Reaffirming also that the best interests of the child are an important consideration in

all matters concerning the child and related to the sentencing of his or her parents or, where

applicable, legal guardians or primary caregivers,

1. Notes with appreciation the report of the United Nations High Commissioner

for Human Rights submitted to the Human Rights Council on the human rights implications

of overincarceration and overcrowding;A/HRC/30/19.

2. Welcomes the panel discussion convened by the Human Rights Council on

the protection of the human rights of persons deprived of their liberty, held on 10

September 2014, and notes with appreciation the summary report prepared by the Office of

the High Commissioner and submitted to the Council at its twenty-eighth session;A/HRC/28/29.

3. Reaffirms the importance of the full and effective implementation of all

United Nations standards on human rights in the administration of justice;

4. Calls upon States to spare no effort in providing for effective legislative,

judicial, social, educative and other relevant mechanisms and procedures, as well as

adequate resources, to ensure the full implementation of those standards, and invites them

to take into consideration the issue of human rights in the administration of justice in the

universal periodic review procedure;

5. Invites States to assess their national legislation and practice in accordance

with those standards, including the revised United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for

the Treatment of Prisoners;

6. Invites Governments to include in their national development plans the

administration of justice as an integral part of the development process, and to allocate

adequate resources for the provision of legal aid services with a view to promoting and

protecting human rights, and invites the international community to provide an increased

level of both technical and financial assistance to States and to respond favourably to their

requests for capacity-building, and enhancement and strengthening of institutions

concerned with the administration of justice;

7. Stresses the special need for continuous national capacity-building in the

field of the administration of justice, through reform of the judiciary, the police and the

penal system, as well as juvenile justice reform;

8. Reaffirms that no one should be unlawfully or arbitrarily deprived of his or

her liberty, and notes the principles of necessity and proportionality in this regard;

9. Calls upon States to apply individual criminal responsibility and to refrain

from detaining persons solely on the basis of their family ties with an alleged offender;

10. Also calls upon States to ensure that anyone who is deprived of his or her

liberty has prompt access to a competent court with the effective power to determine the

lawfulness of the detention and to order release if the detention or imprisonment is

determined not to be lawful, as well as prompt access to legal counsel, in accordance with

their international obligations and commitments;

11. Urges all States to consider establishing, maintaining or enhancing

independent mechanisms with the mandate to monitor all places of detention, including by

making unannounced visits, and to hold private interviews without witnesses with all

persons deprived of their liberty;

12. Calls upon States to ensure a proper file and data management system on

prisoners that allows the tracking of the number of persons deprived of their liberty, their

detention period and developments regarding the prison population;

13. Recalls the absolute prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading

treatment or punishment in international law, and calls upon States to address and prevent

detention conditions of persons deprived of their liberty that amount to torture or cruel,

inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;

14. Calls upon States to investigate promptly, effectively and impartially all

alleged human rights violations and abuses suffered by persons deprived of their liberty, in

particular cases involving death, torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or

punishment, to provide effective remedies to the victims, and to ensure that detention

administrations cooperate fully with the investigating authority and preserve all evidence;

15. Encourages States to address overcrowding in detention facilities by taking

effective measures, including through enhancing the availability and use of alternatives to

pretrial detention and custodial sentences, access to legal aid, mechanisms for crime

prevention, early release and rehabilitation programmes and the efficiency and capacity of

the criminal justice system and its facilities, and to make use in this regard of, inter alia, the

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Handbook on Strategies to Reduce

Overcrowding in Prisons;

16. Calls upon States to review penal policies that can contribute to

overincarceration and overcrowding, in particular regarding so-called “zero-tolerance”

policies, such as the application of mandatory pretrial detention and mandatory minimum

sentences, especially for minor and/or non-violent crimes;

17. Urges States to endeavour to reduce pretrial detention, which should be a

measure of last resort and for as short a period as possible by, inter alia, adopting legislative

and administrative measures and policies on its preconditions, limitations, duration and

alternatives, and by taking measures aimed at implementing existing legislation, as well as

by ensuring access to justice and legal advice and assistance;

18. Underscores the particular importance of providing appropriate training for

prosecutorial and judicial authorities with a view to ensuring proportionate sentencing and

enhancing the implementation of non-custodial measures at the pretrial and post-conviction

stages;

19. Recognizes that every child and juvenile alleged as, accused of or recognized

as having infringed the law, particularly those who are deprived of their liberty, as well as

child victims and witnesses of crimes, should be treated in a manner consistent with his or

her rights, dignity and needs, in accordance with international law, bearing in mind relevant

international standards on human rights in the administration of justice and taking into

account the age, gender, social circumstances and development needs of such children, and

calls upon States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to abide strictly by its

principles and provisions;

20. Welcomes the United Nations Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the

Elimination of Violence against Children in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal

Justice,3 and urges States to consider applying them, as appropriate, in the design,

implementation, monitoring and evaluation of laws, policies, programmes, budgets and

mechanisms aimed at eliminating violence against children in the field of crime prevention

and criminal justice;

21. Also welcomes the Global Programme on Violence against Children in the

Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice recently developed by the United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime and United Nations Children’s Fund, which is intended to

promote and assist in the effective implementation of the Model Strategies and Practical

Measures, and encourages Member States and other stakeholders to support and to benefit

from this programme;

22. Encourages States that have not yet integrated children’s issues into their

overall rule of law efforts to do so, and to develop and implement a comprehensive juvenile

justice policy to prevent and address juvenile delinquency as well as with a view to

promoting, inter alia, the use of alternative measures, such as diversion and restorative

justice, and ensuring compliance with the principle that the deprivation of a child’s liberty

should only be used as a measure of last resort, for the shortest appropriate period of time,

and that such decisions must be subject to periodic review of their continuing necessity and

appropriateness, as well as to avoid, wherever possible, the use of pretrial detention for

children;

23. Encourages States not to set the minimum age of criminal responsibility at

too low an age, bearing in mind the emotional, mental and intellectual maturity of the child,

and in this respect refers to the recommendation of the Committee on the Rights of the

Child to increase their lower minimum age of criminal responsibility, without exception, to

12 years, as the absolute minimum age, and to continue to increase the lower limit to a

higher age;

24. Urges States to ensure that, under their legislation and practice, neither

capital punishment nor life imprisonment are imposed for offences committed by persons

under 18 years of age;

25. Calls upon States to consider establishing or strengthening existing

independent and child-friendly national monitoring and complaints mechanisms so as to

contribute to safeguarding the rights of children deprived of their liberty;

26. Welcomes the invitation made by the General Assembly to the Secretary-

General to commission an in-depth global study on children deprived of liberty, and to

submit the conclusions to the Assembly at its seventy-second session;4

27. Invites States to provide for human rights training on the administration of

justice and juvenile justice, including anti-racist, multicultural, gender-sensitive and child

rights training, for all judges, lawyers, prosecutors, social workers, immigration, correction

and police officers, and other professionals working in the administration of justice;

3 General Assembly resolution 69/194, annex.

4 General Assembly resolution 69/157, para. 52 (d).

28. Also invites States, upon their request, to benefit from the technical advice

and assistance provided by the relevant United Nations agencies and programmes in order

to strengthen their national capacities and infrastructures in the field of the administration

of justice, including in addressing overcrowding, overincarceration and violence against

children in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice;

29. Calls upon relevant special procedures of the Human Rights Council to pay

special attention to questions relating to the effective protection of human rights in the

administration of justice, including juvenile justice and the human rights of persons

deprived of their liberty, and the causes and effects of overincarceration and overcrowding,

and to provide, wherever appropriate, specific recommendations in this regard, including

proposals for advisory services and technical assistance measures;

30. Calls upon the High Commissioner to strengthen advisory services and

technical assistance relating to national capacity-building in the field of the administration

of justice, in particular juvenile justice;

31. Requests the High Commissioner to submit to the Human Rights Council, at

its thirty-sixth session, a report on non-discrimination and the protection of persons with

increased vulnerability in the administration of justice, in particular in situations of

deprivation of liberty and with regard to the causes and effects of overincarceration and

overcrowding, drawing on the experience of United Nations and regional human rights

mechanisms, and seeking the views of States, including on their policies and best practices,

civil society, and other relevant stakeholders;

32. Decides to continue its consideration of this issue under the same agenda

item, in accordance with its annual programme of work.

41st meeting

1 October 2015

[Adopted without a vote.]