Search Results for: 2005-06-30

Bob Rae, Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, does not shy away from tough questions. Though many in a position such as his might shy away from argument, Rae seems to relish the opportunity to engage in some intellectual sparring. It was in this context that I requested an interview as Canada grapples with multiple [...]

Sexual assault in the US Armed Forces is a very real and prescient issue for all service members. In April 2023, the US Department of Defense (DoD) reported that in 2022 there had been “a roughly 1% increase in overall reports of sexual assaults” with all the service branches having seen an increase in reported [...]

President Joe Biden has repeatedly characterized the state of world affairs as a battle between democracies and autocracies, with America leading the coalition championing the democratic cause. According to the United States, this coalition aims to show the world that government of the people, by the people and for the people is the best model, [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) announced Friday they uncovered new evidence that Ukraine used banned landmines and other illegal artillery against Russian troops. In a news release published on their website, HRW reported that they found artillery rockets that they allege are Ukrainian. The findings originate with images of Uragan rockets found in an agricultural field [...]

A top International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegate Friday said that inmates held by the US at Guantanamo Bay Detention Center are experiencing “symptoms of accelerated .” Patrick Hamilton, the head of the ICRC’s US and Canada delegation, visited Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in March and says that the inmates’ symptoms are consistent with [...]

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 [...]

Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation Tuesday ruled that minors who are victims of rape can access abortions without their parents’ consent or without filing a report. In a 10-1 decision, the court rejected claims brought by the Aguascalientes and Baja California state governments which contended that the ‘Official Mexican Standard for family, [...]

The French Council of State (Conseil d’Etat) ordered the country’s federal government to take accelerated action against climate change on Thursday, threatening possible fines for noncompliance. The Council—which provides legal advice to the executive and acts as the Supreme Court for Administrative Justice—agreed on three important matters. First, France is exceeding its emissions budgets. Following [...]

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.  [...]

Switzerland’s parliament approved a bill Friday that would allow same-sex couples to marry. The National Council, the lower house of Parliament, voted by 136 in favor to 48 against, with 16 members abstaining or otherwise voting present. The Council of States, the upper house, voted 24 to 11 in favor of the bill, with 11 [...]