Slovakia’s parliament approved a contentious law to restructure the public broadcaster RTVS on Thursday, sparking concerns about the independence of public media in the country. Opposition MPs boycotted the vote, exiting the chamber in protest against the new legislation. The law in question targets Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS), which has served as Slovakia’s [...]

The US Supreme Court held Thursday in Gonzalez v. Trevino that the existence of probable cause does not necessarily defeat retaliatory arrest claims. The case concerns a Texas councilwoman who argues that she was arrested in retaliation for her speech critical of a city government official. Retaliation-arrest claims generally must prove the absence of probable [...]

South Australia’s Supreme Court of Appeal rejected Australian Taxation Office (ATO) whistleblower Richard Boyle’s appeal to secure immunity from prosecution under section 10(1)(a) of Australia’s Federal Public Interest Disclosure (PID) Act on Wednesday. Boyle was prosecuted upon blowing the whistle on alleged unethical debt recovery practices at the ATO. He disclosed these debt recovery practices [...]

The UK Supreme Court held Thursday that Surrey’s planning authorities acted unlawfully when granting planning permission for an oil well development in 2019. The court ruled that the authorities should have considered certain environmental impacts when making the decision. The three-to-two decision of the five justices allowed the appeal of a previous resident of Surrey, [...]

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Thursday that the Czech Republic discriminated against a juvenile defendant when it did not afford him the three-month pretrial detention review period granted to adults. The case of Spišák v. the Czech Republic highlights differential treatment between juveniles and adults during pre-trial detention. The applicant was [...]

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned on Wednesday about the possibility of Nigerien authorities using the country’s revised cybercrime law to censor and imprison journalists. New amendments to the law reintroduced prison sentences for defamation, insults, and dissemination of data that could disrupt public order via the Internet. On June 7, 2024, the head of Niger’s [...]

The Norwegian Ministry of Children and Families announced on Wednesday that it would not stop international adoptions amid an investigation into out-of-country adoption practices but would instead implement risk-reducing measures to ensure that adoptions to Norway are safe and secure. In 2023, the Norwegian government established a committee to investigate illegal or unethical practices in [...]

UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor warned on Wednesday that human rights defenders are increasingly targeted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), especially in the eastern region of the country, amid intensifying armed conflict. Lawlor said that human rights defenders in the DRC are continuously intimidated, attacked and killed even though authorities have been [...]

Police in New Caledonia arrested 11 people on Wednesday, including independence leader Christian Tein, for alleged organized crime offenses and involvement in the violent protests that have taken place in the country since May 13, according to an interview with prosecutor Yves Dupas. The detainees were placed under police custody for up to 96 hours. [...]

The European Union (EU) agreed on a new package of sanctions against Russia, the Presidency of the Council of the EU confirmed Thursday. This new set of measures is the fourteenth package the EU has issued since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the sanctions will [...]