In 1992, a group of solicitors and barristers from several countries launched the idea of Avocats Sans Frontières. A core group of Belgian lawyers united around the idea, and a few months later ASF was born in Brussels.
Urgent assistance and defence
The mission of the first lawyers without borders was to help and defend those persons whose rights were not being respected in their countries because their cases were considered ‘sensitive’.
At first, ASF was financed by its members and a number of Belgian bar associations. Between 1992 and 1996, those funds made possible several urgent missions of assistance. Under the Solidarity and Defence programme (later re-named Lawyers for Lawyers and now Article 16), lawyers without borders were sent overseas for several weeks at a time to support or intervene in sensitive or symbolic trials.
1994: a shocking genocide in Rwanda
In 1994, the genocide and massacres in Rwanda shook the world. Despite still being ill-equipped for such long term projects, the organisation decided to take action. Between 1995 and 1998, training courses were organised in Arusha, Tanzania, to train lawyers for appearances before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
ASF evolves into an international entity
After the genocide, the Rwandan authorities and the international community mobilised to reactivate the judicial system and begin to prosecute the tens of thousands of people accused of participating in the massacres. Combating impunity was crucial. ASF believes that fair trials in matters of genocide are fundamental as a step towards national reconciliation. For a variety of reasons, the adequate defence of neither the accused nor the victims was possible at that time in Rwanda. The country suffered from a severe shortage of lawyers; many had been killed, others had gone into exile, and those who remained could not or would not get involved in such painful litigation.
In response to that situation,the project Justice for all in Rwanda was created in 1996. ASF's first overseas office was opened in Rwanda. Dozens of lawyers took turns defending the accused and representing the victims in Rwandan courts.
In the course of carrying out such a large scale project, ASF evolved into an international organisation. Above and beyond its initial goals of urgent defence and assistance of individuals, ASF now set itself a new objective: to independently contribute to the creation of a more just, equitable and unified society in which law and justice serve the most vulnerable groups and/or individuals.
In pursuit of this overall objective, ASF opened new offices in Burundi (1999), Kosovo (2000), the Democratic Republic of Congo (2002), Timor-Leste (2002), Uganda (2007) and Nepal (2010).
ASF also regularly organises activities in Israël-Palestine and in Colombia.
Avocats Sans Frontières – key dates
2010
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November: opening of an ASF-office in Nepal.
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May-June: ASF participated in the first Conference on revision of the Statute of Rome in Kampala (Uganda).
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5 March: Luc Walleyn, member of the Board of Directors of ASF, received the annual prize of the KUL (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) Law School Alumni Association for being an ‘especially distinguished member of society’.
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Launch of ASF’s International Legal Network.
2009
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4 December: ASF was awarded the ‘Law and Sustainability’ prize by the Association of Flemish Jurists, for its initiative ‘Fair trade and public procurement’ (Regelrecht voor Fair Trade).
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25 June: ASF organised a major conference in Brussels on The role of the lawyer in the issue of torture.
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26 January: commencement of the first case heard by the trial chamber of the ICC (Thomas Lubanga case).
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The ROOM for JUSTICE exhibition of ASF is presented in Anvers, Bruges, Liège, Charleroi and Amsterdam.
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Five seminars in the series Justice and Globalisation: a challenge for lawyers were organised in Anvers, Bruges, Liège, Charleroi and Amsterdam.
2008
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27 November: first seminar in the series Justice and Globalisation: a challenge for lawyers took place in Brussels.
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24 September: private launch of the ASF exhibition ROOM for JUSTICE at the Courthouse in Brussels.
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21 April: creation of the ‘Avocats Sans Frontières Fund’ in the USA to enable American donors to support our work.
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ASF organised an exploratory mission to Nepal.
2007
2006
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The project Solidarity and Defence is renamed Lawyer for lawyer.
2005
2004
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ASF awarded the Solidarity Prize of the Dutch language newspaper De Standaard.
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ASF published its Mandate, Structure and Axes of Intervention for 2004-2008.
2003
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ASF awarded the Democracy Prize.
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ASF was one of five finalists for the Peace Prize of Ypres.
2002
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ASF programme in Israel and Palestine launched.
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ASF office in the Democratic Republic of Congo opened.
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ASF office in Timor-Leste opened.
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ASF celebrated its 10th anniversary.
2001
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Legal aid project in Rwanda closed; and torch passed to the Rwandan bar. An ASF team maintained to continue to monitor the ‘genocide trials’ and deliver training to judges.
2000
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ASF office in Kosovo opened. ASF widened its principles of action.
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Gacaca tribunals in Rwanda launched to try genocide cases: ASF asked to offer technical assistance to the Supreme Court of Rwanda to explain the new gacaca system to the population.
1999
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ASF office in Burundi opened, as well as a legal aid programme.
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In light of the war in the Balkans, ASF organised several missions to Kosovo.
1998
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In January, Justice for All in Burundi launched in collaboration with ASF-France and with the support of the Belgian and French Government aid agencies.
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ASF became a genuine international movement: exploratory missions undertaken in Ireland, India, Ecuador, the Basque area of Spain, Uganda and Libya.
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ASF participated in the Conference of Rome and became a member of the ‘Coalition for an International Criminal Court’.
1996
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Creation of the project Justice for all in Rwanda. Opening of the first ASF offices in Rwanda. Now established abroad, the association obtained official status as an NGO (non-profit organisation).
1994
1992-1996
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First urgent assistance missions under the project Solidarity and defence (later renamed Lawyers for Lawyers). ASF helped and/or defended those who could not defend themselves before the courts and victims of flagrant human rights violations. ASF intervened in such cases in Albania, Brazil, Bolivia, Burundi, Chile, Cuba, Spain, Guinea, Northern Ireland, Lebanon, Morocco, Mauritania, Palestine, Russia, Sierra Leone, Syria, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, etc.
1992