CONSTITUTION

THE

Published

the

INTERNATIONAL

SSOCIATION

DEMOCRATIC

AWYERS

from the office of the Secretary-General

17, Lawyers Chamber, Supreme Court of IndiaNew Delhi

0 001. INDIATel :91-11-3382271. Fax:91-11-6473145

INTERNATIONALASSOCIATIONDEMOCRATICLAWYERS

(As

amended

its

14th

Congress

CapeTown.SourhAfrica.April.

1996)

economic equality,enjoyment of fruits ofscientific progress and natural resources.

ARTICLE

HEADQUARTERSARTICLE I: NAME

Those who adhere to this constitution constitutea voluntary association of democratic lawyers of allcountries under the name of the

InternationalAssociation of Democratic Lawyers.ARTICLE 2:AIMS

The aims of the Association are:(a) To facilitate contact and exchanges of viewsbetween lawyers and lawyers' associations of

all

countries and to foster understanding andgoodwill between them.(b) To work together to achieve the aims set outin the Charter of the United Nations.(c) To ensure common action by lawyers:i)to encourage in the realm of lawthe studyand practice of the principles ofdemocracy making for the maintenanceof peace and cooperation betweennations.ii) to restore, defend and developdemocratic rights and liberties inlegislation and in practice.iii) to promote the independence of allpeoples and to oppose any restriction onthis independence whether in law or inpractice.iv)to defend and promote human andpeoples rights.v)

promote preservation of ecology andhealthy environment.vi) to struggle for strict adherence to ruleof law and independence of judiciary andlegal profession.vii) to defend peoples right to developmentand for creation of conditions ofThe headquarters of the Association shall be atsuch place as may be decided by the Bureau.

ARTICLE

MEMBERSHIP

(I) Membership of the Association

open to:

(a)

Any national or international associationof lawyers having aims and activities whichare in accordance with the aims of theAssociation.(b) Any person who accepts the aims of theAssociation and by profession orappointment exercises a judicial function

who devotes himself to the study,practice

teaching of law.

(2)

Applications for membership shall be madeto the Bureau which can provisionally acceptthem. Such acceptances are subject toconfirmation by decision of the Council.

ARTICLE

OFFICE BEARERS

(a) TheAssociation shall have the following officebearers to be elected by the GeneralAssembly:

PresidentSecretary GeneralTreasurer

(b) No person shall hold the same office for morethan two consecutive terms.(c) The General Assembly may in recognition of

the outstanding contribution of an individual.

"...

elect such an individual as PresidentEmeritus.(d) Rules may be framed by the Council to providefor the procedure for election of the officebearers. In the absence of rules, the Councilshall be free to determine

its

procedure forthe purpose.

ARTICLE 6:THE ORGANS

The Organs of the Association are:(i) the General Assembly(ii) the Council and(iii) the Bureau

ARTICLE 7:THE GENERALASSEMBLY

(a) The General Assembly is the supreme organof the Association and is competent

takeall decisions in the name of the Associationincluding the amendments of theConstitution.(b) The General Assembly shall be called once infour years.(c) Member organisations shall be representedby their duly accredited delegates.(d) Every member organ~sationwill have twovotes which are div~sible.(e) Individual members of the Association mayparticipate in the General Assembly withoutany right to vote.

ARTICLE 8:THE COUNCIL

(a) Between the meetings of the GeneralAssembly all its powers except that ofamendment of the Constitution, shall vest inthe Council.(b) The Council shall comprise ofall the membersof the bureau,all other office bearers and onerepresentative of each member associationduly appointed by it to the Council.(c) The Council, shall ordinarily be called once ayear.(d) All decisions of the Councd shall be taken bya majority of those present and voting.

ARTICLE 9:THE BUREAU

(a) The Bureau shall be the executive organ ofthe Association and comprise of not morethan eighteen members to be elected by theGeneral Assembly out of which the President,Secretary General and theTreasurer shall beex-officio and the rest shall be elected by theGeneral Assembly ensuring a balancedgeographical and gender representation.(b) The representatives of the Associationaccredited to international organisations andthe editor of its publications shall bepermanent invitees to the Bureau.(c) The Bureau shall be responsible for directingthe work ofthe Association n accordance withthis Constitution and is to carry out thedectsions of the General Assembly and theCouncil.(d) The Bureau shall assign specific responsibilitiesto the members of the Bureau and may electVice-Presidents. Deputy Secretary-Generalsand Assistant Treasurers from among ~tsmembers.(e) The Bureau may constitute standingcommittees or special committees andworking groups, not necessarily of itsmembers, with specific responsibilities. Allsuch committees shall report to the Bureauand work according to its directions.(f)Any vacancy in the Bureau may be filled in bythe Bureau itself, subject to its ratification bythe Council. The Bureau may inviterepresentative of any member association toattend and participate in its meeting (s).

ARTICLE

10:

HONORARY ADVISORS

The General AssemblyIBureau may constitute aBoard of Advisors and elect as Honorary Advisors,eminent persons n the field of law for their contributionto the Association, a national association or tojurisprudence.

ARTICLE

FINANCE

(a) The funds of the Association shall be derivedfrom:(i)the Annual subscriptions of member-Associations and individual members.(ii) grants, donations and contrrbutions, saleof publications, savings and investments