RES/30/7 Human rights in the administration of justice, including juvenile justice
Document Type: Final Resolution
Date: 2015 Oct
Session: 30th Regular Session (2015 Sep)
Agenda Item: Item3: Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
Topic: Justice
- Main sponsors1
- Co-sponsors57
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- Andorra
- Angola
- Armenia
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Georgia
- Greece
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Maldives
- Monaco
- Mexico
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Panama
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Uruguay
- Ukraine
- Korea, Republic of
- Moldova, Republic of
- North Macedonia
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;
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;
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.]