A/HRC/38/38 I. Introduction 1. This is the second report submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Diego García-Sayán, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 35/11. 2. The present report focuses on the role that judicial councils and/or other bodies independent from the legislative and executive branches of powers play in ensuring the independence of the judiciary. 3. In preparing this report, the Special Rapporteur called for contributions from States, international and regional human rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions, judicial councils and civil society. The Special Rapporteur requested information on the existence of a national body or mechanism in charge of guaranteeing judicial independence; the composition of this body or mechanism and the procedure for the appointment of its members; and the competences of this body or mechanism in relation to all decisions relating to the careers of judges (selection, appointment, promotion, suspension and dismissal). 4. At the time of writing the present report, the Special Rapporteur has received a total of 77 responses. The Special Rapporteur wishes to convey his sincerest gratitude to all States and non-State actors that provided contributions for the preparation of the report. The annex contains a full list of respondents. All submissions are available on the website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). 5. The Special Rapporteur would like to thank the Human Rights Clinic of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre of the University of Ottawa for its continuous support in the research and drafting of the present report. 6. The Special Rapporteur also expresses his appreciation for the suggestions received by a group of 30 organizations of the Americas in a meeting organized in Lima on 13 April 2018 by the Due Process of Law Foundation. II. Overview 7. The independence of the judiciary is an essential component of the right to a fair trial and the rule of law. The requirement of independence and impartiality of judges is not a prerogative or privilege granted in their own interest, but is justified by the need to enable judges to fulfil their role as guardians of the rule of law and of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people. As such, the independence of the judiciary should be regarded by every citizen as a guarantee of truth, freedom, respect for human rights and impartial justice free from external influence. 8. The independence of the judiciary is a corollary of the democratic principle of separation of powers, according to which the executive, the legislature and the judiciary constitute three separate and independent branches of Government. According to this principle, different organs of the State have exclusive and specific responsibilities, and it is not permissible for any branch of power to interfere in the others’ spheres of control. 9. International standards provide that it is the duty of all governmental and other institutions to respect and observe the independence of the judiciary, and to adopt all appropriate measures to ensure that judges can decide matters before them impartially and without any improper influences, pressures or interferences. 10. In order to guarantee judicial independence, some countries created self-governing judicial bodies, such as judicial councils, to protect and promote the independence and the autonomy of the judiciary. The underlying rationale for their creation was the need to insulate the judiciary and judicial career processes from external political pressure, mainly from the executive branch of power. 11. Judicial councils exist in both civil and common law countries, but they are a particularly prominent feature of legal cultures with a civil law tradition. The first High 3