Faculty of Law, University of the West Indies (Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad campuses) – 6-10 February 2012

The International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy will be holding a series of seminars within the Faculty of Law at the University of the West Indies.  The topic of the lectures will be ‘Concerned with the health and welfare of mankind?’ – Drugs, Human Rights and bridging ‘Parallel Universes’.

The seminars will be held at the Kingston, Jamaica campus on 7 February, the Bridgetown, Barbados campus on 8 February and the Port of Spain, Trinidad campus on 10 February.

Public and Social Policy Programme, National University of Ireland, Galway – 1 February 2012

The International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy will present a 2-hour seminar on ‘Drug Control and Public Policy’ as part of the curriculum of the BA in Public and Social Policy at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

University of Bristol Law School, 28 November

The International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy will be holding a seminar entitled ‘Drug control: the need for thematic human rights focus’ for law students at the University of Bristol Law School on Monday, 28 November from 2-4pm.  The lecture will be held in Room 1.05 on the first floor of the Wills Memorial Building.

State University, Tbilisi, Georgia, 21 October

The International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy will be holding a lecture for law students at the State University, Tbilisi, Georgia on Friday, 21 October at 6pm. The lecture will be held in the Criminal Law Library.

Tbilisi poster

Guangxi University, Nanning, China, 8 September

The International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy will be holding two lectures to law students at Guangxi University, Nanning, China.

Seminar on Human Rights and Drug Policy, Beijing, 6-7 September

The International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy, at the invitation of the Irish Centre for Human Rights,  developed the programme for a 2-day seminar in Beijing, China.  The seminar brought together human rights scholars and practioners from China and Europe to discuss the issue of drug policy.  Seminar topics included the death penalty, arbitrary detention and the right to health.

Launch of the International Journal on Human Rights and Drug Policy – Beirut, 6th April

The inaugual issue of the International Journal on Human Rights and Drug Policy will be launched during the Harm Reduction 2011 conference in Beirut, Lebanon.   This will be done during a special session in the conference Dialogue Space at 12:30pm. The Journal editors and well as several of the authors will be in attendence.

‘Targeted Killing of Drug Lords: Traffickers as Members of Armed Opposition Groups and/or Direct Participants in Hostilities’ by Patrick Gallahue, International Yearbook on Human Rights and Drug Policy

From International Yearbook on Human Rights and Drug Policy (Vol 1, 2010)

ABSTRACT

In 2009, the United States announced that it had placed fifty Afghan drug traffickers with links to the Taliban on a ‘kill list.’ This controversial proposal essentially weds the counter-narcotics effort with the mission to defeat the Taliban, and challenges a cornerstone of international humanitarian law, the principle of distinction. This article argues that drug traffickers, even those who support the Taliban, are not legitimate targets according to the rules applicable to non-international armed conflict. It explores the notions of membership in armed groups, civilian status and acts that result in the loss of protection, and argues that the US plan violates international humanitarian law.

IYHRDP 2010 Gallahue

Drug control, crime prevention and criminal justice: A Human Rights perspective

New paper by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and released this week at the 53rd session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. This is UNODC’s most comprehensive and detailed treatment of human rights issues and obligations in the context of drug control.

UNODC Human Rights Conference Paper

Canadian Court of Appeals supports Vancouver Safe Injecting Facility

The British Columbia Court of Appeal has rejected the Canadian government’s attempt to shut down the first safe injecting site in North America.  The facility, called Insite, has operated since 2003 under a constitutional exemption to the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. As the exemption was due to expire, Insite successfully obtained a permanent exemption, which the Conservative government challenged.

Two of the three appeals court judges supported Insite’s continued exemption.

INSITE Court of Appeals Decision

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