Costa Rican Lawyer to Speak on Neutrality in Limerick

limerick | anti-war / imperialism | event notice Thursday February 19, 2015 21:37 by shannonwatch shannonwatch at gmail dot com 085 8519623

A human rights lawyer who challenged the Costa Rican government on breaches of neutrality under its Constitution and won will speak at the Mechanics Institute in Limerick on Tuesday 24th Feb at 7pm.

Roberto Zamora works mostly on constitutional affairs and litigation for the protection of human rights. As a college student he challenged Costa Rican President Pacheco's decision to support the US/UK led aggression on Iraq. The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court ruled the support as unconstitutional, and ordered the country's withdrawal from the coalition. He also successfully challenged a presidential decision to allow the manufacture of nuclear fuel and nuclear reactors "for all purposes" in Costa Rica.

Mr Zamora argues that the tactics he used should be applied to other countries, setting their own precedents to institutionalize national human rights commitments as binding international law. What Mr. Zamora has to say is particularly relevant to Ireland at this time, as two bills on neutrality come up for discussion in the Dail in the coming weeks. It is in this context that we are delighted to welcome him to Ireland.

All are welcome.

For more information email [email protected] or phone 085 8519623.

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Between Feb 20th and 25th a series of talks will take place around Ireland by human rights lawyer Roberto Zamora who challenged the Costa Rican government on breaches of neutrality under its Constitution and won. The talks are particularly relevant to Ireland at this time, as two bills on neutrality come up for discussion in the Dail in the coming weeks.

Roberto Zamora is an independent attorney who works mostly on constitutional affairs and litigation for the protection of human rights. As a college student he challenged Costa Rican President Pacheco's decision to support the US/UK led aggression on Iraq. The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court ruled the support as unconstitutional, and ordered the country's withdrawal from the coalition. He also successfully challenged a presidential decision to allow the manufacture of nuclear fuel and nuclear reactors "for all purposes" in Costa Rica.

Mr Zamora argues that the tactics he used should be applied to other countries, setting their own precedents to institutionalize national human rights commitments as binding international law. It is in this context that we are delighted to welcome him to Ireland.

The full schedule of talks by Roberto Zamora is as follows:

Thursday 19th Feb, 8pm: Wynn's hotel, Dublin [Public meeting organised by AFRI and IAWM]
Friday 20th Feb, 1pm - 2pm: University College Cork [Organised by local branch of IPSC]
Saturday 21st Feb: Attendance at IAWM AGM Teachers Club, Dublin at 2pm
Monday 23rd Feb, 2pm - 3pm: Talk to Law Students at Letterkenny Institute of Technology
Tuesday 24th Feb: 7pm: Mechanics Institute, Limerick [Public meeting organised by Shannonwatch]
Wednesday 25th Feb, 5:15pm: Seminar Room at the Human Rights Centre, NUIG, Galway

He will also be a witness at trial of Clare Daly TD and Mick Wallace TD at Ennis District Court on Tuesday February 24th. The two are being charged in relation to their attempts to inspect a US military plane at Shannon Airport in 2014.

Roberto Zamora has participated in multiple international events as a panelist or lecturer, including 2003 and 2007 World Social Forums, 2006 World Peace Forum and 2005 UN GPPAC Conference. He is a member of the American Association of Jurists, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, the International Association of Lawyers against Nuclear Arms and the Spanish Association for International Law of Human Rights. He is also member of the advisory committee of the Brussells Tribunal for Justice in Iraq.