Human Rights Day ..........

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December. It commemorates the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1950, the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V), inviting all States and interested organizations to observe 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day.

This year's Human Rights Day is devoted to the launch of a year-long campaign for the 50th

more HERE

anniversary of the two International Covenants on Human Rights: the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966.

The two Covenants, together with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, form the International Bill of Human Rights, setting out the civil, political, cultural, economic, and social rights that are the birth right of all human beings.

"Our Rights. Our Freedoms. Always." aims to promote and raise awareness of the two Covenants on their 50th anniversary. The year-long campaign revolves around the theme of rights and freedoms -- freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear -- which underpin the International Bill of Human Rights are as relevant today as they were when the Covenants were adopted 50 years ago. For more this year's theme and the year-long campaign, see the website of the UN Human Rights office.

Peace & tolerance

H

Woman beats female lover at court

Oh boi there is never a dull day in Jamaica with drama and intimate partner issues spilling over into the public domain in real time of via twitter-verse. I had heard about this one a day after it occurred via a neighbour who had gone to conduct business at the adjacent parish council office when daily operations were interrupted by the fracas. Now it has also made its way to the Star News since. 

Sadly it's cases such as this that help to define for some the notion that homophobic violence is actually intimate partner violence and so true homophobia does not exist; that belief could not be further from the truth.

Remember this?:

Anyway:

It was high drama just outside the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court last Friday after a woman attacked and threw several blows on her female lover who reportedly works at the courthouse.

The incident, which occurred about 11:30 a.m. and in full view of several people, left many in shock as they witnessed the court employee being assaulted by the woman, who accused her of being unfaithful.

"Yuh go gi wey mi sinting last night," the woman said in between a series of punches, as some people called out to her to desist.

concerned

But what happened next caused many of the curious onlookers to drop their jaws in disbelief. A concerned passer-by, in an effort to help the court worker, approached the attacker and asked her to stop, but was shockingly chased away by the employee.

"Yu can't come a di woman workplace and assault har like dat," the man told the attacker as he attempted to intervene. But, before he could go any further, the employee quickly butted in: "Leave her alone, how yu get involved?"

The man simply walked away as the assault continued. Other individuals eventually stepped in and rescued the woman and chased away the attacker. Police eventually arrived on the scene, and counselled the court worker. Up to late yesterday, the assaulted woman had made no report of the incident.

Visitors to the court told The Star that it was not the first incident of its kind to happen in the precinct of the courthouse. Others opined that the women needed to deal with their matter privately instead of out in the open as it was very disgraceful.

In the meantime, The Star has learnt that an investigation has been launched by the assaulted woman's employers to look into the incident and to discuss the way forward.

Pity this had to play out at a court house of all places.

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