Explainer Part II: The Israel-Hamas War and the International Court of Justice
The ongoing conflict engulfing Israel and Palestine continues to raise significant issues of international law and policy. My earlier contribution focused on the jurisdiction and substantive law of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Here I address the ongoing litigation before the International Court of Justice (ICJ or Court). Because the crime of genocide can be [...]
Under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s leadership, the Sri Lankan civil war reached a brutal conclusion on May 18, 2009, ending a 25-year-long conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist rebel group. Rooted in longstanding grievances, including discriminatory policies against Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority, the conflict saw the [...]
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 [...]
Australia indigenous advocates call for youth prison reform amid allegations of abuse
A group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advocates and NGOS expressed deep concerns Friday about the mistreatment of children in youth prisons in an open letter to the Victorian government. The advocates called out the Victorian Government’s failure to meet Australia’s obligations to implement safeguards expressed in the UN’s the Optional Protocol to the [...]
Peru constitutional court affirms ex-president pardon despite international court ruling
The Peru constitutional court moved Wednesday to affirm a 2017 pardon granting the release of ex-President Alberto Fujimori despite an Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruling that required the release be blocked. Fujimori was convicted in 2009 and sentenced to the maximum term of 25 years for various war crimes and corruption during his [...]
New Jersey governor used public expense account to spend $12,000 at stadium events
New Jersey governor Phil Murphy used his public, taxpayer-funded expense account to spend almost $12,000 at events at MetLife Stadium in northern New Jersey, including a Taylor Swift concert, according to records reviewed by POLITICO this week. The expenses started accumulating when Murphy took office in 2018, but have not grown since 2019. POLITICO obtained [...]
Cambodia election committee disqualifies main opposition party from upcoming election
Cambodia’s National Election Committee (NEC) announced on Monday that they have disqualified the main opposition party known as the Candlelight Party. The disqualification will effect the national elections, scheduled for July. The NEC claims the Candlelight Party has not provided relevant paperwork needed to register. The Cambodian People’s Party currently holds power and has done [...]
Last month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a new rule to ban non-compete clauses for workers. The proposed rule is great news for low wage workers because it would allow them to explore new job opportunities and give them leverage to bargain for better wages. One in five low wage workers are subject to [...]
Europe rights court orders Russia to legalize same-sex unions
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Tuesday ordered Russia to recognize same-sex unions. The ruling came in response to an appeal by three gay couples who were denied the ability to marry by Russian authorities. It remains to be seen whether Russia will implement the court’s ruling. A bench of 17 judges presided over [...]
Nepal is a least developed, land-locked Himalayan country wedged between India and China. After a long period of instability, it adopted a new constitution in 2015, creating a multi-party federal republic. Previously Nepal had been a unitary state, albeit with a long period of political instability and insurgency. The first election under the Constitution was [...]
