EOP by the Delegation of the United States of America
Human Rights Council 29th Session
July 2, 2015
Thank you, Mr. President.
The United States is pleased to join consensus on the resolution on the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, jurors and assessors, and the independence of lawyers. The United States has been, and remains, committed to the independence and impartiality of the justice system.
The United States fully supports the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers. We agree that the Special Rapporteur should consult with all the relevant UN stakeholders, including the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
Further, in the administration of justice, we believe that the best interests of the child should be a significant, but not always primary, consideration. For example, in criminal matters, the interest of victims and society are often the primary considerations.
The United States remains deeply committed to protecting the independence of the justice system, and looks forward to continuing to collaborate with other countries and international partners in pursuit of this goal.
Thank you, Mr. President.
The U.S. government has issued a supplementary statement addressing additional common concerns on this and other resolutions