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NZ Bar calls for urgent evacuation of Afghan female judges
The New Zealand Bar Association has echoed calls for the government to help secure the safe passage and refuge for Afghan women judges and their families who are facing grave danger now that the Taliban has taken over the country.
Naomi Neilson
The calls first came from the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) president Justice Susan Glazebrook, whose organisation found that some judges are receiving threats along the lines of “where will you hide now?”. Bar president Paul Radich said that the 250 vulnerable female judges should be evacuated immediately.
The NZ Bar said it is important for the maintenance of the rule of law that the international community supports these judges by offering safe passage outside of Afghanistan. The NZ government, in particular, should be working with its partners in the country to ensure that this evacuation takes place as soon as possible.
“Judges in many places around the world risk harm by doing their jobs. They need to know that the international community will help support them,” Mr Radich said.
An urgent response might include widening evacuation support from Afghanistan to those who are particularly vulnerable to attack. It should come alongside expedited visas and providing relocation and resettlements for those who need it, as well as an immediate pause on the deportation of people to Afghanistan.
“These judges took the call to serve their country and their communities. They did this with the assurance that they would be supported by the international intervention in Afghanistan. The international community cannot now abandon them,” he added.
Naomi Neilson
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
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