Search Results for: Commonwealth

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced Thursday further sanctions on Myanmar over ongoing human rights violations. This round of sanctions targeted military-linked entities “involved in the repression of the civilian population and serious human rights violations” in the Southeast Asian country. The British government previously imposed sanctions on 25 individuals and 33 [...]

The Law Council of Australia called for the legislature to prioritize increased funding for legal assistance services in upcoming budget deliberations. In a Tuesday media release, council president Greg McIntyre said, “We are urging the Government to increase funding in this year’s Budget as our legal assistance sector, and the people who rely on it, [...]

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court on Monday ordered a lower court to reconsider whether a state law limiting Medicaid funds for abortion violates the equal protection rights of low-income individuals. Under the 1982 Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act, abortion care can only be covered by Medicaid — a government-funded health insurance program for low-income individuals and families — [...]

On Monday, the wife of the imprisoned Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza announced that Russian authorities removed him from the maximum security prison in Siberia and his current whereabouts are unknown. Following this announcement, the British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Cameron urged the Russian authorities to provide Kara-Murza’s lawyers [...]

The Australian attorney general announced Tuesday that the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) will be inquiring into justice responses to sexual violence in Australia. The inquiry will examine legislation and frameworks related to evidence, court procedures, processes and jury instructions. This includes reviewing laws pertaining to consent, policies, training programs for judges, police and legal [...]

The resumption of any kind of negotiations or diplomatic ties with the Taliban should come with principles and conditions. Such conditions should be no less than those enshrined in the fundamental principle of human rights and dignity and expected in a multi-ethnic and democratic country. Afghanistan cannot afford to settle for anything less than the [...]

“So far from it being unjust to punish him, it would be unjust if his wrongs were allowed to go unpunished.” Nuremberg Tribunal (1946) At the beginning of 2024, former President Donald J. Trump’s most conspicuously unsupportable legal claim has been his personal immunity from criminal prosecution. With this claim, Mr. Trump and his lead [...]

The highest court in Massachusetts ruled on Thursday that individuals under the age of 21 cannot be sentenced to life without parole, becoming the first state to do so. In a 4-3 decision overruling the previous legislative action, the court raised the minimum age from 18 to 21, citing brain development science and the Massachusetts [...]

Belarus’s permanent representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Andrei Dapkiunas announced on Monday that Belarus would refrain from inviting observers from the OSCE to monitor the country’s upcoming parliamentary election. The election is currently scheduled for February 25. Dapkiunas explained that the decision has been taken due to certain geographical and [...]

The Hong Kong trial of prominent pro-democracy activist and media mogul Jimmy Lai has garnered widespread attention globally. Lai, a 76-year-old British citizen and high-profile critic of Beijing, faces national security charges, and his trial is expected to take months. Lai is a prominent figure in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. His detention and subsequent trial exemplify [...]