Welcome to the website of the Solicitors International Human Rights Group. Our aim is to engage solicitors and other lawyers in the promotion of international human rights ......read more.           
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Upcoming activities:

SIHRG vice-chair Ruby Sandhu joined the EuroMed Human Rights Network Group on economic, cultural and social rights in Tunis 27-29th September 2019.

SIHRG is currently fielding a team of trial observers to monitor a mass trial in Turkey. We hope to publish a report in the New Year.

Director Lionel Blackman and committee member Anne-Marie Irwin staged two days of training in trial observation and strategic litigation for human rights defenders in Istanbul in November 2019.

SIHRG is preparing a wide consultation on the Group's objects; to be circulated shortly.
Recent activities:

  • SIHRG organised a 3 day juvenile justice study visit on behalf of UNICEF for 12 practitioners from Belarus - 28th - 30th May 2019. CLICK HERE for the programme.
  • SIHRG staged a seminar on 27th February 2019 in Surrey for 12 Russian lawyers concerning protection measures for victims of domestic violence. Presentations from police and the voluntary sector. Report on study visit HERE.
  • Following the attendance of SIHRG members Anne-Marie Irwin and Sandip Basu to a criminal court in Cairo in 2018, SIHRG has completed its trial observation report on the case against Egyptian activist Amal Fathy. Click HERE for our trial observation pages and a link to the report.
  • In November 2018 SIHRG provided a two day trial observer training for Article 19 and Turkish activists. Click HERE for the training report.  
  • If you become aware of any trial that may be suitable for an international observation do please get in touch with SIHRG as we can support such missions.
  • SIHRG member Suzanne Valentine represented our Group at an international conference held in Istanbul in December on disability. More information HERE
  • The full report on Citizens Watch's seminar held last December  in St Petersburg on domestic violence law and practice  can be accessed HERE.  SIHRG supported the event by providing two UK solicitor trainers.
  • SIHRG successfully completed a 9 month long juvenile justice project ending March 2018 in the Republic of Belarus involving 11 seminars and the publication of a Guide to national and international juvenile justice law. Click HERE for report.
  • SIHRG hosted two Burmese lawyers on a two week study visit in June 2018 - See report HERE.
  • SIHRG also assisted host an advocate from Siberia for three days of her leadership programme in the UK.
  • SIHRG attended the triennial General Assembly of the EuroMed Human Rights Network in Brussels June 2018. Report HERE.

Other Recent events: see archives.

UN Wire latest: 4th December 2019 : CLICK HERE  (earlier editions also)

UN Civil Society Update  4th December 2019

UN Jurisprudence Database

Training Guide on Reporting to the UN Treaty Bodies  ( Part 1  -  Part 2 )

Reporters Without Borders Reports - World Press Freedom Index, Europe overview, Turkey, China and more

EHRAC Bulletins: Summer 2019 Bulletin  Spring  2019   Autumn 2019


ALL MEMBERS CAN SUBMIT NEW IDEAS FOR PROJECTS ONLINE......................Click here     

  • NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING January 2020.  CONTACT ADMIN IF YOU HAVE MATTERS TO RAISE 
  • MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO CONTRIBUTE ARTICLES FOR PUBLICATION ON OUR WEB SITE AT ANYTIME - SEND TO ADMIN
  • Members may develop thematic working groups that operate within SIHRG with considerable autonomy. Click HERE for more information.


Alastair Logan OBE Chair of SIHRG delivered a summary of the Guildford Four case and law reform in this broadcast created at the request of Citizens Watch St Petersburg and promoted on their Russian website.


For non-lawyer activists we have published a "Straightforward Guide for Criminal Trial Observers". We are prepared to publish editions adapted to any country and to permit the Guide's translation to any language. Just contact us via the contacts page


SIHRG has a comprehensive suite of online Guides to international human rights law.

CLICK HERE to access the Guides, now for free.