Stevens & Bolton is delighted to have worked with the Law Society of England and Wales and its Lawyers at Risk Programme, jointly with the Collective Campaign for Peace (a network of peace and human rights organisations in Nepal - COCAP), in drafting the submission of a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to the United Nations Human Rights Council.
In January, Stevens & Bolton was asked, through its representation on the Lawyers At Risk committee, to assist the Law Society in the upcoming submission of a UPR in relation to Nepal. The UPR is an assessment process in which all UN member states are assessed on their human rights records and recommendations are made by the members states to each other. Recent constitutional developments in Nepal, as well as instances of lawyers and human rights defenders being targeted or put at risk through their work, made it a logical choice for a UPR submission.
Michael Stocks and Lorna Sleave, both in the dispute resolution team, compiled a brief report summarising developments and issues in Nepal, based on information provided by a network of non-governmental organisations. The report focused on the constitutional structure of Nepal, newly introduced or contemplated legislation with a potential impact on civil liberties, and reported attacks on lawyers and human rights defenders. It further made a number of recommendations.
Additional information and a summary of the report findings can be found on the Law Society’s website here.
Law Society's Lawyers at Risk programme with its review of persecutions in Nepal
Lorna Sleave