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The International Association of Judges was founded in Salzburg (Austria) in 1953. It is a professional, non-political, international organization, bringing together national associations of judges, not individual judges, approved by the Central Council for admission to the Association.

The main aim of the Association is to safeguard the independence of the judiciary, which is an essential requirement of the judicial function, guaranteeing human rights and freedom.

The organization currently encompasses 87 such national associations or representative groups, from five continents.

The Central Council of the IAJ is its executive body. Each member association has two representatives in the Council. The Central Council meets annually, preferably in a different country every year.

At the Mexico City (Mexico) meeting, which took place during the month of October 2016, Mr. Christophe Regnard, judge from France, was elected President of the IAJ for the following two years. Mr. Giacomo Oberto, judge of the civil court in Turin, was confirmed Secretary-General for a third mandate.

The Association has consultative status with the United Nations (with specific reference to the International Labour Office and the U.N. Economic and Social Council) and with the Council of Europe.

The Association has four Study Commissions, dealing respectively with judicial administration and status of the judiciary, civil law and procedure, criminal law and procedure, public and social law. These commissions are composed of delegates from national associations. They meet annually in the same location as the Central Council. Based on the national reports received, the members of the commissions study and discuss problems of common interest, pertaining to the justice process, on a comparative and transnational basis.

The Association has four Regional Groups:

i) the European Association of Judges (44 Countries); ii) the African Group (19 Countries); iii) the Iberoamerican Group (16 Countries); iv) the Asian, North American and Oceanian Group (12 Countries).

Periodically, the Association organizes an international congress.

The most recent meetings of the Central Council and of the study commissions were held in Santiago de Chile (Chile, 2017) Mexico City (Mexico, 2016), Barcelona (Spain, 2015), Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil, 2014), Yalta (Ukraine, 2013), Washington D.C. (USA, 2012), Istanbul (Turkey, 2011), Dakar (Senegal, 2010),Marrakech (Morocco, 2009), Yerevan (Armenia, 2008), Trondheim (Norway, 2007), Siofok (Hungary, 2006), Montevideo (Uruguay, 2005), Valle de Bravo (Mexico, 2004), Vienna (Austria, 2003), Alicante (Spain, 2003), Madrid (Spain, 2001), Recife (Brazil, 2000), Taipei (Taiwan, 1999), Porto (Portugal, 1998), San Juan (Puerto Rico, 1997), Amsterdam (The Netherlands, 1996), Tunis (Tunisia, 1995), Athens (Greece, 1994), Sao Paulo (Brazil, 1993), Sevilla (Spain, 1992), Crans-Montana (Switzerland, 1991), Helsinki (Finland, 1990), Macao (1989), Berlin (Germany, 1988), Dublin (Ireland, 1987), Rome (Italy, 1986), Oslo (Norway, 1985), Vaduz (Liechtenstein, 1984), Dakar (Senegal, 1983), Madeira (Portugal, 1982), Vienna (Austria 1981), Tunis (Tunisia, 1980), Stockholm (Sweden, 1979).

At the last meeting in Santiago de Chile (Chile), in November 2017, the study commissions discussed the following subjects: “The threats to the Independence of the judiciary and the Quality of Justice: workload, resources and budget” (1st Study Commission); “The use of technology in civil litigation matters” (2nd Study Commission); “The Sentencing of Criminal Offenders, part II” (3rd Study Commission); “Flexible employment and emerging relationship” (4th Study Commission).

The following subjects will be discussed by the study commissions in 2018:

1 SC: “The trend of public criticism towards judges and judicial decisions in a disrespectful manner by other state powers, the media and in social media”;

2 SC: “Strategies for effective case management”;

3 SC: “Treatment of witnesses, including children, protected witnesses and sexually abused victims. B. Trial Procedures. C. Mandatory sanctions”;

4 SC: “Rights and obligations of refugees : a risk of modern slavery ?”.

The next meeting of the Central Council, of the four Regional Groups and of the study commissions will be hosted in Marrakech (Morocco) by the Moroccan Judges Association (Amicale Hassania des Magistrats du Maroc) in autumn 2018.