By Caitlin Urisko.
On June 15, 2023, the French Senate passed the Kasbarian-Bergé Bill, which increases fines and criminal penalties for squatters. President Emmanuel Macron introduced the bill to defend against the illegal occupation of housing. However, opponents worry that the new law will have a disparate effect on the nation’s vulnerable populations without solving the root issue.
Read MoreBy William T. McAndrews III.
The people of Italy have elected the most far-right government since the Second World War. The party campaigned on extreme policies such as closing the Italy’s southern border, xenophobia, and euro-skepticism. This article discusses the potential future of Italy and southern Europe as world crises increase refugee movement to Europe.
Read MoreBy Kaitlyn Harries.
With the increased use of credit cards and digital payments, Austrians worry about their ability to use cash in light of newly proposed EU legislation capping cash payments at €7000. Austria’s chancellor declared his intention to protect the use of cash by enshrining the right in the Austrian Constitution.
Read MoreBy Thomas Carr.
A military junta ousted Niger’s democratically elected president and declared itself the country’s de facto leaders. The Economic Community of West African States has the power to intervene militarily to restore democracy. It is both legal and necessary to do so.
Read MoreBy Noelle Andrego.
Due to the illegality of homosexual activity, the lack of government protection, and the resulting inherent and systematic discriminatory norms within Jamaican society, homosexuals in Jamaica continue to be targets and victims of severe persecution. This results in many strong claims to asylum in countries such as Canada and the United States.
Read MoreBy Wesley Levise.
Research is showing that walls and fencing are fragmenting migratory pathways and degrading the environment and ecosystem in Mongolia. Despite growing concerns about the collapse of these migratory pathways, international laws and treaties aimed to prevent exploitation of these animals are falling short of preserving these lands essential for the survival of various species.
Read MoreBy Jake Babbish.
China is skirting international extradition laws and national sovereignty by carrying out secret policing operations on foreign soil.
Read MoreBy Abagail Cacovic
This article explains how human trafficking is the second most profitable illegal activity in the world and how the recent COVID-19 pandemic in conjunction with social media have impacted its profitability. It explores the downfalls with the COVID-19 pandemic and social media, but also it’s ability to cause a positive impact by curbing human trafficking.
Read MoreBy Nicholas Sturos.
South Korean courts have interpreted the term “medical practice” to encompass the act of tattooing. As a consequence, virtually all tattoo artists in South Korea operate illegally, and are at the risk of criminal sanctions. This interpretation violates multiple Korean constitutional freedoms including the freedom to art.
Read MoreBy Julia Moran.
Haiti’s government is now largely vacant. Gang violence has overtaken the country, with many Haitians living in fear of violence or displacement. Who will intervene to help stop it?
Read MoreBy Madelaine Ackermann.
The Indonesian government passed a new criminal code in December 2022 that infringes on several international human rights laws and standards, including the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and sexual freedom. These new laws discriminate against women, LGBTQ communities, and religious minorities, and it may criminalize any valid criticisms of the new code itself.
Read MoreBy Dylan Vogel.
In October, the Supreme Court of Japan affirmed a decision by the Intellectual Property High Court (IP Court) that allowed copyright holders to seek royalties from performances put on by instructors at music schools, but not from those held by students. The Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers (JASRAC) sought to allow member artists and those it advocates for to collect royalties from all uses of copyrighted works at music school.
Read MoreBy Luke Barbrick.
For 30 years, the lawmakers of Wales have taken remarkable legal steps to restore their ancient language, Welsh. Welsh is one of six known languages of the Celtic group, a branch of the Indo-European language family. Celtic languages also include Irish, Scots Gaelic, Manx, Cornish, and Breton, most of which are spoken in the British Isles. Many scholars now believe that Celtic developed nearly 6,000 years ago, making it one of Europe’s oldest language groups.
Read MoreBy Noah Thelen.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), statistics on alcoholism are a concern globally, with roughly three million deaths each year attributed to the disease. As of 2021, alcoholism is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. Lithuania has recognized increasing rate of alcohol consumption and has undergone studies to prevent growing tragedies.
Read MoreBy Natalie Glitz Grumhaus.
Climate change affects the whole planet, but the rising seas are affecting low-lying islands and coastal areas in the most immediate ways. The smaller island states in the Pacific have been notably affected, as five islands of the Solomon Islands have fully disappeared into the Pacific Ocean, and many others are slowly losing their land and are likely to join the first five within the next several decades.
Read MoreBy Aaron Hoover.
The Mongolian government has taken many steps over the last two decades to decrease the prevalence of domestic violence and to provide services to victims. UN Women reports that, as of 2018, in Mongolia the Lifetime Physical and/or Sexual Intimate Partner Violence rate was 31.2 percent with violence occurring within the last twelve months at a rate of 12.7%. These rates compare to its neighbor, Kazakhstan, with rates of 16.5% and 4.7% respectively.
Read MoreBy Frankie Salamida.
As of January 27, 2022, there were almost 1,500 people in Australian immigration detention facilities. The Migration Act was originally introduced in Parliament in 1958 and was envisioned as a temporary and “exceptional” measure to deal with a particular grouping of people. These designated persons were Indochinese unauthorized boat arrivals. In 1992, the Migration Reform Act was introduced and extended mandatory detention to all “unlawful” non-citizens. Most “unlawful” non-citizens are usually granted temporary legal status.
Read MoreBy Michael Reingold.
Taiwan’s constitutional reforms and democratization show how Taiwan was able to legalize same-sex marriage and cement other fundamental rights into its democratic foundations. Much of Taiwan’s development of fundamental rights and freedoms have been through so-called “judge-made rights,” marking a change and diversion away from maintaining a “brief list of rights and freedoms explicitly mentioned in the Constitution.”
Read MoreBy Albert Chang.
Estonia’s approach to cybersecurity is a combination of European Union regulations, Estonia’s interpretations of EU law, and collaborative efforts between Estonia and the private sector to minimize the risk in digitization. As a member of the EU, Estonia is subject to the EU’s data protection law under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR is commonly held as “the toughest privacy and security law in the world.”
Read MoreBy Madeline Jones.
Iraq’s rape-marriage law permits a rapist to evade punishment if his victim consents to marriage. Women are pressured to marry their rapists to preserve their reputation and family honor. Repeal of Iraq’s rape-marriage law is essential to promoting gender equality and to provide protection and justice to victims.
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