Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recent decision to revoke the plea agreements for three defendants in the 9/11 case at Guantanamo, including alleged mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), was at once shocking and predictable: shocking that the Defense Secretary would step in deus ex machina at the eleventh hour to scuttle a deal negotiated by the [...]
The Supreme Court of India’s 2018 judgment in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India was a watershed moment in India’s constitutional history. It recognized the right to privacy as an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. This was a significant shift, given that [...]
The recent decision by Italy’s Court of Cassation (Corte di Cassazione) in case number 27115/2024 has sparked numerous reactions due to its consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic as a potential extenuating circumstance in a femicide case. This crime, which garnered significant media attention in Italian society, involved a perpetrator who was initially sentenced to life [...]
Far-right movements gaining popularity in many European countries are primarily anti-immigrant and anti-Islam. This study examines Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), a far-right political party in Germany. Founded in 2013, the party launched the AfD manifesto, a public document approved at its Federal Party Congress held in Stuttgart from April 30 to May 1 2016. Presently, [...]
Does the Rule of Law Apply in the US Government’s Enforcement Proceedings? It seems likely that most people would respond to the question with a resounding “Yes, of course, isn’t this America?” Unfortunately, the answer is, “Often No.” Policymakers and judicial authorities in the United States and other developed countries often generally speak of the [...]
The ongoing conflicts in Ethiopia have laid bare the country’s deep-seated divisions and the devastating toll of unchecked violence on civilian populations. From the Tigray region to the Amhara and Oromia areas, the people of Ethiopia have endured unimaginable suffering, with atrocities committed by all sides in flagrant violation of international law. At the heart of this [...]
In legend, Achilles, Greek warrior and hero of the Trojan War, fought Trojan prince Hector to avenge the death of his friend Patroclus. Hector had killed Patroclus, and he planned to cut off Patroclus’ head and give his body to the dogs for food. Before the fight, Hector waits for Achilles and then proposes that [...]
Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan is experiencing severe human rights abuses, notably against women and ethnic minorities, amid socio-political and humanitarian crises. In this piece, the authors analyze the severe human rights challenges in Afghanistan, particularly focusing on the plight of women under the Taliban and historical patterns of gender inequality. They propose federalism as a [...]
This week Hong Kong’s highest court delivered a landmark decision with profound implications for its judicial landscape, the preservation of fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. But the ruling also demonstrates wider issues of CCP influence across the world. In this piece, I reflect on the unfolding news of UK judges sitting in Hong [...]
Credo quia absurdum, “I believe because it is absurd.” Tertullian For conspicuous reasons, the likelihood of direct war between Israel and Iran is increasingly “high.” What remains inconspicuous is that such a war could quickly or incrementally involve North Korean military assets. Even if Israel were able to keep Iran pre-nuclear, an already nuclear North [...]