HRW issues warning amid Philippine mayor's renewed 'war on drugs'
The mayor of the Philippine city of Davao, Sebastian Duterte, has declared a new ‘war on drugs’, watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported Sunday. In the 24 hours since his announcement, local authorities are reported to have killed at least five people, with an additional seven being killed in the days that followed. Mayor Duterte [...]
Explainer: The Israel-Hamas War and the International Criminal Court
The current conflict engulfing Israel and Palestine raises significant issues of international law and policy. This is part one in an anticipated two-part series that will discuss some of the relevant legal questions before the International Criminal Court (ICC; Part I) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ; Part II). With both courts located in [...]
Women Outnumber Men in US Law School Classrooms, but Statistics Don’t Tell the Full Story
According to the most recent data from the American Bar Association, women outnumbered men in law school classrooms across the country for the eighth year in a row in 2023. At the outset of the 20th century, women comprised less than five percent of all law students. However, a gradual but significant shift commenced in [...]
US Senate Judiciary Committee advances Supreme Court ethics reform bill
After a meeting Thursday morning, the US Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill that proposes ethics reforms for the Supreme Court, which has recently faced a series of scandals involving Justices Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor and Samuel Alito. Bill S 359—also known as the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act—passed out of the Democratic-controlled [...]
Strengthening Global Justice: Renewed Commitment to Equal Access Should Mark ICC Anniversary Year
July 17 is the Day of International Criminal Justice. This year it also marks 25 years since the adoption of the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC). ICC member countries will gather today at the United Nations headquarters in New York City to discuss strengthening political and practical support for [...]
It is a dangerous time to be a judge in America. Retired Wisconsin judge John Roemer was killed at his home in June 2022. That same month, US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh narrowly avoided a kidnapping and possible assassination attempt. These incidents follow in the wake of an assassination attempt on U.S. District Court [...]
“…Ukraine is not just a neighbouring country for us. It is an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space. These are our comrades, those dearest to us – not only colleagues, friends and people who once served together, but also relatives, people bound by blood, family ties.” — Address by the President [...]
On November 15, the AP reported on the attempt of a beloved Palestinian doctor, Izzeldin Abuelaish to obtain an apology for a terrible tragedy—the 2009 killing of his three daughters (Aya, Bessan and Mayar) and his niece (Noor) by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) who shelled his home in Gaza 13 years ago. As the AP explains, [...]
We Made the Cut: Why is California Denying Licensure to Recent Grads During a Global Pandemic?
At the height of a global pandemic, and shortly after the expiration of the CARES Act which provided a temporary safety net to millions of Californians, the Supreme Court of California issued an order denying retroactivity of the 1390 Cal Bar Exam (CBX) cut score to February 2020 applicants who had already met this standard. [...]
In a historic development concerning women’s rights, the Sudanese transitional government recently criminalized the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) and made it punishable by up to three years in prison. FGM is a deeply discriminatory practice which results in the partial or total removal of external female genitalia without any medical reasons. It violates [...]
