Achieving Parity in Legal Age of Marriage Without Addressing the Elephant in the Room
Introduction The Indian government has tabled the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Lok Sabha, a bill aimed at increasing the minimum legal age of marriage for girls from 18 to 21 years. This bill will amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, which prohibits child marriages in India. The 2006 act provides a different minimum [...]
Will Guantanamo Continue As An Unnecessary Presidential Legacy?
Almost five years ago I contributed to a Commentary to JURIST entitled, “Guantanamo: An Unnecessary Presidential Legacy,” which focused on former President Barack Obama’s unsuccessful attempt to shut down the Guantanamo prison facility because of missed opportunities, faulty decision making, internal administration opposition and ultimately partisan political division that resulted in an unnecessary presidential legacy. [...]
Section 144 and the Pandemic: A Look at Freedom of Speech in Mumbai
The spread of fake news and misinformation during the pandemic has been unprecedented. Governments have been prompted to take measures to curb this spread in order to quell panic amongst the public. One such measure was taken by Mumbai Police by promulgating a prohibitory order under Section 144 of India’s Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). [...]
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to increase across the globe, crossing over the four million mark and killing more than 300,000 patients, a parallel pandemic of misinformation and fake news is spreading around, putting lives at risk. Many researchers have termed this so called storm of misinformation a “disinfodemic.” There is a growing concern because [...]
A Comparative Understanding of "Lockdown" Frameworks in the Time of the Coronavirus Pandemic
As COVID-19 spreads in different parts of the world, many countries have resorted to “national quarantine” or lockdown. Travel bans and closure of activities has resulted in a complete halt of society. Different countries are using their own set of domestic laws for planning action against the spread of Coronavirus. After declaring it a “pandemic”, [...]
The Liability of China and International Adjudication of the COVID-19 Pandemic
As the saying goes, “history repeats itself.” In 2002, the SARS epidemic spread from the Guangdong province of China and affected 29 nation-states by the year 2003. There were 774 human casualties from the disease. The world realized this loss of human life could have been avoided had China not suppressed vital public health information [...]
EPA Takes a Toxic Turn by Backing Away from Mercury Regulation
Mercury is one of the most toxic substances on earth. When inhaled or ingested by humans, mercury can cause severe neurological damage, cardiovascular harm, endocrine disruption, kidney damage and muscle coordination issues. When pregnant women are exposed, their babies can suffer IQ and motor skills impairments that will last their lifetime. Through rain, snow or [...]
National Guard and Active Duty Lend a Hand to Civil Authorities on the Border
In April and October, President Trump proclaimed his intention to send National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border as an anti-illegal immigration measure. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Protection reported apprehensions of people entering the U.S. illegally at the Southern border jumped by 37 percent from February to March 2018, by 203 percent [...]
When considering the comments in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, with the perspective of thirteen years since their landfall, I’ll paraphrase Mark Twain’s comment about an erroneously pre-mature 1897 obituary: “the reports of death are greatly exaggerated.” The perspective of time and the restoration of many services to the Hurricane Katrina and Rita-stricken Gulf Coast reveal that matters [...]
Our phones are constantly searching for the greatest connection, updating our location, and often connect to multiple cell towers on any given day, divulging our whereabouts to service providers with relative ease. In recent years, the accuracy of this method to pinpoint a person’s current and past location has increased significantly. And given that there [...]
