A/HRC/6/19 page 94 Recommendation 3.4 Short-term and Mid-term Start to review the compatibility of domestic legislation with the interim national constitution and bill of rights, and harmonize laws with Sudan’s obligations under international human rights law. Undertake legal reform to include, especially, National Security Act, Police Act, Emergency Laws, Armed Forces Act. Indicator: Number of laws reformed in accordance with international human rights law. Response of the Government of the Sudan on Recommendation 3.4 Written information submitted to the group of experts on Darfur on 25 and 29 October 2007 On 25 October 2007, the group received a copy of the Armed Forces Bill of 2007 which deals, among others, the system of military justice, military criminal procedure, including investigation, inquiry and trial, conforming with the recognized principles of justice, public law and the principle of legality. The principle of independence of military judicature has been enshrined, by dedication of a full chapter, which deals with independence of the judicial and legal work, without influence, and deals with procedural immunities suitable for officers of the Military Judicature. Chapter VIII relates to penalties under courts martial, and Chapter I, of Part III sets out offences and contraventions, committed by personnel of the Armed Forces. This Act contains, for the first time, a codification of the provisions of the international humanitarian law, after a careful study of the regional experiences represented in the Jordanian Act, No. 31 and 32, 2003 and the Yemenese law; and after perusal of the international experience, represented in the Belgian model. The Bill keeps pace generally with the pattern of military law in the USA, France, Algeria and elsewhere, and conforms with the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions of 1977, as well as the Optional Protocol attached to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in that it fixes the recruitment age at 18 years. There are also principles of customary international law reflected in the Bill concerning prohibited weapons and protection of non-combatants, and including the provisions of Ottawa Agreement for Prohibition of Use, Transport, Production and Storage of Anti-Personnel Land Mines, 1997, and the Agreement of Combating Chemical Weapons, and criminalizing all acts prohibited in international laws, treaties and agreements, applying the principle of the domestic incorporation of international jurisdiction. The group received the Police Forces Bill of 2007, Chapter II of which deals with general principles and objectives regulating the work and professional duties of police officers and specifically relating to the rule of law and human rights. Chapters IX and X deal with the operation of police courts, as well as offences, contraventions and punishment of police officers in case of violation of professional duties. See also information provided by the Government and other sources as well as the assessment with respect to recommendation 3.1 and 3.2.

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