Speaker details

Biography

NERI JAVIER COLMENARES, is a human rights lawyer and has argued before the Philippine Supreme Court several times on constitutional and human rights issues. His latest oral arguments before the High Court was when he challenged the constitutionality of the Philippine Anti-Terrorism Law for violating the people’s constitutional rights.

He was a three-term member of the Philippine Congress and authored several laws including the Philippine Anti-Torture Law, the Anti-Enforced Disappearance Law and the US$ 200 Million compensation for victims of human rights violations during Pres. Ferdinand Marcos’ martial law.

He was a student leader during in the early 80’s and became one of the youngest political prisoners in the Philippines when was arrested at the age of 18 for demanding the returned of student councils and student papers which were banned by the martial law government.  He was heavily tortured and was imprisoned for a total of four years.

He is currently the Chairman of the National Union of Peoples Lawyers (NUPL) a national association of human rights lawyers in the Philippines and the Vice-President of the Confederation of Lawyers in Asia Pacific (COLAP), as well as member of the IBAHRI Council.  He is also a Bureau Member of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL). He was a National Officer of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) in 2021.  He lectures in the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) for lawyers on International Humanitarian Law and the ICC (IHL), Discovery Procedures, Oral Advocacy in Court Litigations and Impeachment Jurisprudence.  He was awarded by 2020 Human Rights Award of the International Bar Association.