EBLRLA Endorses the Iranian American Bar Association's Call for Lawyers' Independence in Iran
Responding to the Iranian American Bar Association (IABA)’s request for endorsements of its call for lawyers’ independence in Iran, the EBLRLA joins the call upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to repeal the revisions made by Ayatollah Shahroudi and to protect and respect the independence of the IBA..
Responding to the 7/17/09 revision of Iran’s 1955 law on the independence of the Iranian Bar Association (IBA), the IABA critiques the new regulations’ impingement of the independence of Iranian lawyers and the likely resultant threat of disbarment based on opinion or political affiliation. According to the IBA and IABA, the new revision violates fundamental principles of international law as well as guarantees afforded by the Iranian Constitution.
As the IABA quotes, from the preface to the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, “adequate protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms to which all persons are entitled, be they economic, social, and cultural, or civil and political, requires that all persons have effective access to legal services provided by an independent legal profession.”
We agree that, “An independent legal profession is an essential prerequisite to ensure the protection of human rights and the impartial administration of justice,” and encourage all lawyers to join the IABA’s call.