D.5. Independence of the judiciary : international perspective
The Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, which were ratified by the General Assembly in resolutions 40/32 on November 29, 1985, and 40/146 on December 13, 1985, were approved by the 7th United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, held in Milan from August 26 to September 6, 1985. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 10) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, among other human rights documents, both established the idea of judicial independence (Article 14). Additionally, there are a number of UN standards, particularly the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct from 2002 which was accepted by the UN General Assembly.
The United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Organisation and Administration of Justice in Every Country, and other basic principles developed to aid the Member States in their task of securing and promoting the independence of the judiciary should be taken into consideration and respected by governments within the framework of their national legislation and practise and brought to the attention of judges, lawyers, members of the executive, and the legislative.