Support for our Afghan colleagues
As we know, the position of female legal professionals, in particular, judges and lawyers, is extremely precarious under the Taliban regime.
In response, the Irish State recently secured safe passage and protection for ten Afghan female judges and their families, arising from the dangers they would otherwise face by remaining in Afghanistan.
In a unique demonstration of solidarity with our Afghan judicial and lawyer colleagues, Irish Rule of Law International – alongside the Bar of Ireland, the Law Society of Ireland, the Association of Judges Ireland, and the International Association of Women’s Judges – collectively the Afghanistan Justice Appeal (“AJA”) is inviting all members of the legal community and beyond to assist as part of a collaborative effort to support their safe transition to and settlement in Ireland.
Housing and Education for Fleeing Afghan Judges
Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, the AJA has been tremendously successful. As of 2022:
- All ten judges are in housing, a tremendous feat given the current housing crisis in Ireland which was further exacerbated as a result of the unforeseen influx of Ukrainian refugees. While the AJA have secured temporary accommodation for all judges, not all of these arrangements are sustainable. The AJA is thus still reliant on offers of financial assistance so that it can fulfil its objective of securing sustainable housing for all judges by mid-2023.
- All ten judges have been accepted into higher education: five have already started Masters programmes; two are pursuing diplomas in professional legal education, and three have been accepted into Masters programmes for the next academic year and are currently enrolled in language and foundation courses at university.
How we can help
While the judges are now safely resettled in Ireland, they still need our support. The most fitting model is one based on community sponsorship, where local colleagues assist in practical, social and professional ways to welcome and integrate our colleagues and their families.
This model of support has proved successful elsewhere, and we believe is an effective way for the Irish legal community to lend valuable support to our Afghan colleagues. There are three ways to help – pledge of accommodation, financial assistance, and social and professional support.
Your donation is invaluable to the judges, and will contribute to their resettlement in Ireland, and support the families in respect of housing, education, health and social support.
In order to maximise the value of your donation, please fill out the a CHY3 Enduring Certification, and send it to [email protected].
For more details, please read more about the Afghanistan Justice Appeal at The Bar of Ireland's Law Library website.
