John Giordano
Public Delegate
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, NY
October 16, 2019
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Special Rapporteur García-Sayán, for your report.
The United States recognizes the importance that, as for everyone, the rights of freedom of expression, religion or belief, association, and peaceful assembly are safeguarded for judges and prosecutors when acting in their personal capacity. Judges and prosecutors should not be denied their fundamental freedoms due to their professions.
We continue to oppose actions by states that permit executive or legislative branches to overpower the judiciary, undermining judicial independence and systems of checks and balances.
The United States appreciates the benefits social media can provide in strengthening public trust in the judiciary and urges other states to permit judges and prosecutors to exercise their freedoms online as they do offline.
Question: Special Rapporteur, have you observed any significant divergences in professional conduct codes as articulated by regional and international bodies and those by professional groups?
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