The right-to-work law has been controversial since its passage [JURIST report] in December, over unanimous Democratic opposition. Earlier this week Michigan Governor Rick Snyder [official website] sent a letter to the Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court [official website] requesting an advisory opinion [JURIST report] on the constitutionality of the law. In addition to this lawsuit, two other lawsuits have been filed [Detroit News report] challenging the law's passage as a violation of the Open Meetings Act. JURIST guest columnist Susan Bitensky of the Michigan State University College of Law criticized [JURIST op-ed] Michigan's right to work law as a bill that will "weaken the people and families who depend upon the benefits and protections negotiated by labor unions." Measures to strengthen collective bargaining rights in Michigan have also been controversial. In September the Michigan Supreme Court ordered [JURIST report], a union-backed measure to amend the state constitution to include a right to labor unionization and collective bargaining to appear on the November ballot. The measure was ultimately defeated [AP report] 57-43 percent.

According to a 2012 report [JURIST report] by Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website], the Arab Spring may have inspired Vietnamese citizens to combat their oppressive government. However, Vietnam has reacted harshly and has been cracking down on pro-democracy supporters recently. Earlier this month, Vietnam convicted [JURIST report] 14 bloggers associated with Viet Tan of subversion issued prison sentences ranging from 3 to 13 years. In September a court in Vietnam sentenced [JURIST report] a number of bloggers for anti-state propaganda for defaming the Vietnamese government. In August 2011 an appeals court in Vietnam upheld [JURIST report] a seven-year sentence for a prominent rights lawyer.

In November both Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website; HRW press release] and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [official profile; JURIST report] attributed the waive of self-immolation's to China's failure to address human rights in Tibet. In February HRW demanded [JURIST report] that China release Tibetan prisoners who were forced into re-education camps. In November 2011 the UN formally expressed concern [JURIST report] over China's treatment of Tibet. In July 2010 HRW published a report that accused China of violating international law [JURIST report] in its treatment of Tibetan protesters.

Pakistan has recently been fraught with conflict and tension between the executive and the judiciary, notably in light of Ashraf's brief term as Prime Minister. Ashraf's predecessor, Yousuf Raza Gilani, was forced out as prime minister last June after the Supreme Court convicted him of contempt [JURIST report] for failing to pursue a corruption case against the president. In July, only a month after Ashraf became prime minister, the Supreme Court ordered him to reopen the investigation [JURIST report] against President Asif Ali Zardari within three weeks. Also that month, the National Assembly of Pakistan [official website] approved a bill [JURIST report] to shield senior officials from contempt of court proceedings, which was widely seen as an attempt to exempt Ashraf from possible claims of contempt for failing to follow the order. When Ashraf did not do as the court requested, the Supreme Court granted him another two weeks [JURIST report] to comply with its order. In August, after Ashraf still did not reopen the investigation, the court ordered him to appear and explain his refusal [JURIST report] to comply with the July orders. After his appearance, the Supreme Court then granted Ashraf an additional three weeks [JURIST report] to reopen the corruption case. Finally, in mid-September, Ashraf agreed to allow the corruption case to be reopened [JURIST report].

The most recent conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians have raised concern of possible human rights violations committed by Israel. Last month UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk [official website] called on Israel [JURIST report] to fully implement and continue to support the recent conflict-ending ceasefire agreement with Palestinians in Gaza. In November UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] pressured Israel [JURIST report] to avoid targeting civilian structures in Gaza, expressing acute concern over the surge in the number of Palestinian civilian deaths that month. In August Amnesty International [advocacy website] called on Israel to investigate [JURIST report] its treatment of Palestinian detainees, alleging that two had been mistreated. In June the UN also urged Israel to end its blockade [JURIST report] of the Gaza Strip, alleging that it was violating international law.

Israel has been criticized recently for potential human rights violations, particularly with respect to the conflict in Gaza [JURIST news archive]. On Tuesday the UN Human Rights Council [official website] expressed regret that the Israeli government failed to send [JURIST report] a representative to the Council's review of Israel's human rights record. Last month Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] accused the Israeli Defense Forces of war crimes [JURIST report] after a November aerial bombing raid killed 12 civilians in Gaza. Earlier that week UN Special Rapporteur Richard Flak called on Israel [JURIST report] to fully implement and continue to support the recent conflict-ending ceasefire agreement with Palestinians in Gaza. In November UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] pressured Israel to avoid strikes [JURIST report] on civilian structures in Gaza. In August Amnesty International called on Israel [JURIST report] to investigate its treatment of Palestinian detainees, alleging that two had been mistreated. In June the UN also urged Israel to end its blockade [JURIST report] of the Gaza Strip, alleging that it was violating international law.

Earlier this month a Russian court denied [JURIST report] a sentencing deferral for band member Maria Alekhina, despite her having a young child. In October, Alekhina and fellow band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were transferred to separate regional prisons [JURIST report] generally reserved for dangerous criminals to serve their two-year sentences. Earlier in October Samutsevich was freed on appeal [JURIST report] because she did not actually participate in the protest song, and she vowed to take the band's case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) [official website] on charges that the Russian government had illegally detained them and also violated the rock group's right to free speech. All three members were given two-year prison sentences after they were convicted [JURIST report] in August of hooliganism in connection with "guerrilla performance" of a protest song in February at the altar of downtown Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral.

In this case, each of the Plaintiffs was tried as an adult and convicted of first-degree murder. As a result, they received mandatory life sentences. Pursuant to statute, the parole board lacks jurisdiction over anyone convicted of first-degree murder. This statutory scheme combines to create life without parole sentences for those who committed their crimes as juveniles. This type of sentencing scheme is clearly unconstitutional under Miller.

In November the Michigan Supreme Court ruled [JURIST report] that Miller did not apply retroactively. In October Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] wrote a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett asking him to veto [JURIST report] legislation which would maintain the sentence of life without parole as an option for child offenders. In June the US Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in two combined cases, Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs [SCOTUS backgrounders] that mandatory life sentences for juveniles violate the Eighth Amendment. Some observers have argued that the reasoning the court used in this case could easily be extended [JURIST op-ed] in the future to abolish life in prison without the possibility of parole sentences for all juvenile homicide cases. JURIST Guest Columnist Perry Moriearty of the University of Minnesota Law School recently argued that the Miller decision marks an important step toward restoring principles of rehabilitation [JURIST op-ed] to the juvenile justice system.

Roma continue to be targets of discrimination in Europe. In September Amnesty International (AI) [official website] urged Italy to change its discriminatory policies [JURIST report] against the country's Roma. In August AI urged [JURIST report] the government of Hungary to protect the nation's Roma communities from anti-Roma attacks. Also in August the UN urged the international community to end discrimination against Roma [JURIST report]. In May the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) [official website] implored the government of Moldova to adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law [JURIST report] that protects, amongst other groups, the Roma people. In April Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] called on the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to stop discriminating against Roma [JURIST report].