Human Rights Committee - Members

Rajsoomer LALLAH (Mauritius)

Born: September 1933 in Mauritius

Academic and professional qualifications:

BA (Honours) in Jurisprudence at Oxford University , United Kingdom (1957)

Barrister-at-Law, the Middle Temple , London , United Kingdom (1958)

MA at Oxford University (1960)

Fellowships

UNITAR Fellowship at Hague Academy of International Law (1970)

United Kingdom Law Officers Fellowship (1968)

Anderson Scholar, Oxford University (1954-1957)

Distinctions:

Grand Officer of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (GOSK) (1995)

International Gold Mercury Award and personam for contribution to development and human rights law (1985)

Honorary Professor of Law, University of Mauritius (1980)

Queen's Counsel (1976)

Functions in Mauritius:

Judge of the Supreme Court and retired as Chief Justice (1980-1995)

Parliamentary Counsel (1978-1980)

Assistant Solicitor General (1976-1978)

Chairman of the Council of Legal Education of Mauritius (1988-1994)

Chairman of the Commission on the Review of Legal Studies leading to the establishment of a law school at the University of Mauritius and of the Council of Legal Education (1983)

Chairman of the Commission of Enquiry in connection with the General Elections (1982)

Pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Council of the University of Mauritius (1977-1980)

Seconded from the Ministry of Justice to the Electoral Commission as Deputy to the Electoral Commissioner for the registration of electors, the drafting of electoral regulations and the administration of the general elections leading to independence. Worked in close collaboration with the Commonwealth Team of Observers appointed following the Lancaster House Constitutional Conference, London (1965-1967)

International work in the human rights field:

Member of the Human Rights Committee since 1977: Vice-Chairman (1977-1978), Rapporteur (1978-1982) and Chairman (1989-1991)

Member of the High-Powered Commission appointed by Commonwealth, Heads of State and Government for setting up human rights machinery for the Commonwealth (1980-1981)

Member of the Advisory Council of Inter-rights, London (1988-1994)

Member of the International Commission of Jurists, Geneva (1988-1998)

Has addressed colloquies for chief justices and other judges on the domestic application of internal human rights norms, under the auspices of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom , at Oxford (1992)

Has addressed many seminars organized by governmental and non-governmental organizations in the field of human rights, including on Islam and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa

Has addressed seminars on the creation of an international criminal court (1997 and 1998)

Other international work:

Chaired a three-day workshop on National Integrity Systems organized by Transparency International and the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank with financial support from the Governments of Mauritius and Norway (1998)

Appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as a member of a group of three eminent persons to assess existing material relating to genocide in Cambodia and to recommend appropriate measures (1998)

Appointed by the Governing Body of the ILO to chair a Commission of Enquiry to investigate certain industrial complaints in Nigeria (1990)

Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Chile (1983 and 1984) and Myanmar (Burma) (1996 to the present day with responsibility to report to the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly of the United Nations)

Member of the London Court of International Arbitration since 1995

Appointed by the International Labour Organization as one of a three-member commission to investigate industrial complaints made by COSATU against the then Government of South Africa (1991-1992)

Participated in work on a post-apartheid Constitution for South Africa at the invitation of the Constitutional Committee of the African National Congress, the University of Witwatersrand and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under Law of Washington (1991)

Special Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat and lawyer member of resources team of experts advising Commonwealth Governments in all matters of resources development (petroleum, minerals, geothermal energy, agriculture and other resources), assisting them in negotiations with multinational companies, drafting agreements and implementing legislation, setting up central banking institutions and drafting of fiscal and tax legislation for various Commonwealth Governments and assisting Commonwealth Governments in independence negotiations and the drafting of their Constitutions (1970-1975)

Legal Adviser in the delegation of Mauritius at the United Nations Law of the Sea Conference and negotiations with International Financial Institutions (World Bank and African Development Bank), and with other Governments for double taxation agreements and air services (Madagascar, Malawi, Zambia, United Kingdom and Germany) (1968-1970, 1976-1980)

Present law practice:

Now engaged in arbitrations; legal advice in negotiations concerning power projects; telecommunication agreements and resources; exploitation generally and other commercial and industrial undertakings; advice and options and constitutional matters and court-oriented work

Languages: English, French, Hindi and Creole

[This profile can be found in the document CCPR/SP/56]