Search Results for: homeless

A coalition of rights groups and families of victims from the deadly 2020 Beirut explosion released an open letter on Friday urging Lebanon’s new government to strengthen judicial independence and ensure an impartial investigation into the blast. The letter directly charged that state officials have impeded the investigation into the blast and other various financial [...]

The administration of US President Donald Trump on Wednesday rescinded a directive to freeze funding across federal agencies just one day after announcing the sweeping measure, which had left agencies and beneficiaries scrambling to determine its impact. However, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that only the memo instating the freeze was being rescinded, [...]

Spanish Prime Minster Pedro Sánchez announced Sunday a series of government reforms and policy proposals, including harsh restrictions on non-EU residents purchasing property. The measures aim at tackling the southern European nation’s burgeoning housing crisis. Specifically, the proposal seeks to create a tax equivalent to the entire property value for non-EU and non-resident individuals purchasing [...]

The Ontario government on Thursday introduced new legislation empowering municipalities to remove politicians from office for serious misconduct. Under the proposed Municipal Accountability Act (Bill 241), municipal officials found guilty of such conduct could face dismissal and be disqualified from seeking re-election. The legislation, introduced by Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra, aims [...]

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Thursday that the government of the central Canadian province will introduce legislation to grant municipalities and police expanded powers to dismantle homeless encampments. In a letter sent to 12 mayors from municipalities across Ontario, the premier also indicated his willingness to use the Notwithstanding Clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights [...]

William Hibbitts is JURIST’s Deputy Editorial Director, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He filed this dispatch from Halifax.  The atmosphere in Halifax was marked by contrasts Saturday. On the one hand, Canada’s largest east coast city and longtime Atlantic naval base was yet again hosting the Halifax International Security Forum, an annual conference attended [...]

Thousands of protesters gathered across French cities on Saturday to condemn femicides and sexual violence against women in light of the Pelicot trial and the victory of US president-elect Donald Trump.  The protests also took place in anticipation of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, with feminist organization Nous Toutes (All [...]

The Supreme Court of India delivered a verdict condemning the practice known as “bulldozer justice,” local media reported Sunday. The apex court of India categorically denounced unlawful demolitions as “unacceptable,” highlighting their disproportionate impact on marginalized communities, especially Muslims. The Supreme Court’s verdict arose from a case involving the demolition of a house in the state [...]

Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine has led to widespread death and suffering. There are thousands of recorded instances of torture, inhumane treatment and sexual violence, as well as destruction of property, with vast swathes of  residential areas and civilian infrastructure across the country destroyed by Russian artillery. The economic losses are immense, with the Register [...]

Gershon Baskin, a prominent Israeli peace negotiator who is currently conducting back-channel negotiations between Hamas and Israel to bring an end to the current offensive in Gaza, spoke to JURIST Senior Editor for Long Form Content Pitasanna Shanmugathas about the complex obstacles preventing a ceasefire amid the conflict’s expansion into Lebanon and Iran, his unique [...]