Wishing You All A Happy and Prosperous New Year in 2020
As the end of the year approaches, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your support to Guernica 37 over the past year. Now in our third year, we have consolidated our work in the Middle East and North Africa, Central Africa, the Balkans, South Asia, Latin and Central America and developed new areas collaborating with our not for profit sister organisation The Guernica Centre for International Justice, based in San Francisco. During 2019 we achieved a number of important milestones. Notably, we have been instrumental in enhancing accountability for victims in Myanmar and Syria by contributing to the International Criminal Court's determination of jurisdiction for non-Member States where the crimes transcend borders of Member States. We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Procuraduría General de la Nación (Office of the Inspector General) in Colombia for provision of legal support for combatting Anti-Corruption. We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Attorney General of Antigua for the provision of legal support in the Government's criminal justice reform. We facilitated the Government of Pakistan in the landmark initiative of removing the death penalty in cases involving extradition or the transfer of evidence from States opposed to the death penalty. We also have been instructed in the first cases before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. Furthermore, we provided a report to the UN Special Procedures on the circumstances of the suspicious death of former President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt and his son. Chambers further expanded its area of work into international commercial law and arbitration in 2019 with counsel in the longest running ICSID arbitration (Víctor Pey Casado and President Allende Foundation v. Republic of Chile) and in a multi-million pound and multi-jurisdiction commercial dispute in the Commercial Court in London (Aersale 27469 Aviation Ltd & Another v. Abdul Wahab & Another). Our work has involved the following countries Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burma/Myanmar, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Guantanamo, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Kosovo, Libya, Maldives, Mexico, Montenegro, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Syria, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America. 2019 has been characterised by a devastating decline in the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms around the globe with autocratic regimes circumventing the rule of law, shrinking the space for civil society to act and spreading disinformation campaigns and dangerously corrosive propagand. We face a vacuum of accountability where impunity prevails. Democratic Governments and international institutions have become ineffective and fatigued by their inability to protect human rights and enforcing due process. In these times of renewed conflicts and instability, we believe our work is more important than ever.
From The Heart of London
Guernica 37 is a specialist Barristers’ Chambers experienced in advising and assisting States as they commence a process of structural reform and transformation following periods of political instability, post-conflict, post-authoritarian regimes or prolonged periods of state institutions controlled by systemic and structural corrupt practices. Our range of clientele come from the political, institutional and economic sectors as key stakeholders in any lasting and sustainable transformation. Our team of expert international lawyers designs, supports and implements, depending upon the needs of the State, a comprehensive, yet realistic, tailored strategy based on a fundamental understanding of the situation, quality, and geopolitical position. In our work, we take into consideration each and every aspect and vectors for a feasible and successful process.