European Parliament concerned over Slovakia proposed legislative reforms
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Wednesday, expressing concerns over Slovakia’s proposed criminal code reforms and the dissolution of the Special Prosecutor’s Office. The European Parliament is worried the moves potentially endanger the rule of law in Slovakia. Slovakia Prime Minister Robert Fico introduced reforms in December. The reforms relaxed penalties for corruption and [...]
Baroness Helena Kennedy of the Shaws, KC, is one of the UK’s most established lawyers, a bencher at Gray’s Inn and a member of the House of Lords. Kennedy is also a broadcaster, journalist and lecturer. She has not only acted in many of the most prominent cases of the last decade but has promoted civil [...]
Why do coups d’état happen? Is it that bad leadership pushes people to their boiling points, compelling them to take matters into their own hands? Or is it a lack of adequate preventative laws? Do external factors play a role? And in Africa specifically, how much of an impact does history tend to have? Moreover, [...]
The Power of the People: Protests Through the Lens of Kenya and Ghana
Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth, for being correct, for being you. Never apologize for being correct, or for being light years ahead of your time. If you are right and you know it, speak your mind. Speak your mind. Even if you are a minority, the truth [...]
Human rights NGOs call upon UK to expand universal jurisdiction
A recent report published by two human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs), REDRESS and the Clooney Foundation, found, “The UK has deviated from its historical commitment to international justice.” The report went on to argue that the UK should reform its existing laws to allow for greater universal jurisdiction, clearing a path to bring more international [...]
Australia's Voice to Parliament Referendum: Understanding No and Yes
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that the nation’s upcoming referendum on the Voice to Parliament will take place on October 14, 2023. Australia’s constitution can be amended only by way of referendum, invoked by section 128 of the Australian Constitution. Significantly, a referendum requires that the proposed constitutional change is approved by a [...]
Edwin Gakunga is a student at the Kenya School of Law and a JURIST Assistant Editor. He files this dispatch from Nairobi. The bustling heart of Nairobi, Kenya, was the stage last week of a historic event—the inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS), held from September 4th to 6th. This pivotal gathering brought together African nations, [...]
HRW: Ethiopia must release opposition figures from arbitrary detention
Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement on Monday calling on Ethiopian authorities to immediately release seven “arbitrarily detained” opposition figures. The seven detained individuals belong to the formerly banned Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). HRW claims their detainment is politically motivated. The seven OLF figures were arrested in 2020 and 2021. Since then they have [...]
US dispatch: recent SCOTUS rulings contribute to a divided Fourth of July
Sharon Basch is a rising 2L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. The most recent spate of United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decisions handed down late last week have left American citizens more divided than ever. Within the last few years, the US Supreme Court has seen a large volume of what are [...]
Interview: Columbia's Jeffrey Sachs on Russia, Ukraine, and International Justice
Economist and foreign policy expert Jeffrey Sachs, a best selling author and director of Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development, has long argued that Russia’s hostility toward Ukraine was provoked by the U.S. vis-à-vis pushes for NATO expansion, military interventions, and other forms of meddling. In an interview with JURIST Assistant Editor Pitasanna Shanmugathas, Sachs [...]
