The Palestinian human rights organizations delivered, on Sunday 3rd April 2016, a letter to President Mahmoud Abbas, soon after announcing the formation of the Supreme Constitutional Court, demanding “the necessity to form the Supreme Constitutional Court as a final step after the restoration of the constitutional life represented in the general elections (presidential and legislative) and the unity of the Palestinian judiciary.”
The human rights organizations also demanded that “the formation of this Court be not based on political quotas in which any party or political entity could seek to control the Court as the Supreme Constitutional Court preserves the Basic Law, rights and freedoms, thus, its neutrality, integrity and independence should remain intact.”
The human rights organizations urged the president to consider “the necessity of the involvement of women in the formation of the constitutional court as a non-discriminatory standard and as a commitment of the Palestinian state to its obligations towards the international human rights conventions accessed without any reservations and to achieve equality and justice among all Palestinian citizens”
The undersigned human rights organizations look forward to a true partnership and integrative performance between the civil community and the Palestinian governmental organizations. Civil society organizations were surprised with the secretive and quick formation of the Court without taking into consideration the previous demands of the organizations applied in the memorandums raised to president Mahmoud Abbas in 2014.
The undersigned organizations:
The Independent Commission for Human Rights
The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council, consisting of:
- Al-Haq “Law for the Rights”
- Women Center for Legal Aid and Counseling
- Ensan Center for Democracy and Human Rights
- Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
- AlDameer Association for Human Rights
- The Palestinian Center for Human Rights
- Defense for Children International – Palestine
- Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center
- Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association
- Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies
- Badil – Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights
- Center for Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights “Hurryyat”
MUSAWA – The Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession
Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO)
The National Commission for the independence of the Judicial Body and Rule of Law (Istiqlal)
The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy – MIFTAH
Note: attached is the Palestinian human rights organizations letter to President Mahmoud Abbas .