The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 stands as a cornerstone treaty in the realm of international law, delineating the structure for diplomatic interactions between sovereign states. This pivotal agreement secures the rights and protections of diplomatic missions, granting diplomats the freedom to execute their duties without hindrance or intimidation from the host nation. [...]
Uganda’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday upheld most provisions of controversial legislation that imposes a sentence of death by hanging against individuals convicted of “aggravated homosexuality.” In upholding the Anti-Homosexuality Act, the court maintained that though the country’s penal code is “undoubtedly … considered to be a relic from the country’s colonial past,” the bill’s overwhelming [...]
This week in Scotland, a hate crime law that ranks among the world’s strictest entered into force. The Hate Crime and Public Order Act 2021 (Hate Crime Act) aims to modernize and consolidate protections while broadening the scope of recognized hate crimes to encompass a wider range of individuals and circumstances. In other words, the [...]
A report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council this week shines a distressing light on the catastrophic human toll and the systematic destruction in Gaza following military operations by Israel. In the report, entitled Anatomy of a Genocide, Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, detailed the toll of the staggering loss of life, [...]
The US prides itself on being a nation built on freedom, justice, and individual rights. And yet the evolution of its system of mass incarceration — a system that cannot be defined without reference to shocking racial disparities — seems to directly contradict these founding principles. The US prison population dwarfs those of nearly every other [...]
The US Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday in a case concerning the authorization and regulation of the abortion pill mifepristone at a time when reproductive rights are at the heart of political division and changing policies across the nation. At the center of the case is the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine’s lawsuit against the Food [...]
In a significant move towards bolstering the United Kingdom’s commitment to preventing and responding to genocide and other atrocity crimes, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws has introduced the Genocide (Prevention and Response) Bill into the House of Lords. With its second reading on March 22, the bill promises to formalise and strengthen mechanisms for monitoring atrocity [...]
In recent days, an unusual state border-security law has ricocheted back and forth between US federal courts, introducing novel questions of state and federal supremacy. Long disgruntled over the federal government’s perceived inadequate efforts to curb illegal immigration along its southern border, Texas enacted a state law that would enable it to take action in [...]
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 [...]
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) on Monday accused the US of orchestrating a covert campaign to interfere with the upcoming Russian presidential election, set to take place on Mar. 15-17. The spy agency claims the administration of US President Joe Biden has ordered a group of American NGOs to stifle voter turnout in a bid [...]
