An amicus brief, led by Garden Court International (GCI), will be filed at the Constitutional Court of Colombia today.
The amicus brief was filed in connection with the Constitutional Court of Colombia’s examination of the Acto Legislativo no. 1 of 2015, in which the Colombian Government has sought to reform military justice. The reform would disapply international human rights law during armed conflict, leaving state actors to be regulated only by the law of armed conflict. This would effectively remove accountability for human rights violations carried out by members of the military and police.
GCI’s amicus brief aims to draw the Court’s attention to the fact that the proposed amendment would be at odds with established principles of public international law.
The amicus brief will be submitted today by Alberto Yepes from the Coordinación Colombia-Europa-Estados Unidos, alongside interventions from Colombian NGOs, signed by hundreds of the family members of victims of extrajudicial killings. Amici from Lawyers without Borders Canada, the International Commission of Jurists and Amnesty International will also be submitted.
The amicus brief was produced by Smita Shah and Paul Clark of Garden Court International, and Jelia Sane of Doughty Street Chambers.
