The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Türkiye’s detention of Mehmet Osman Kavala since 2017 is unlawful in nature, finding that the country’s government has deprived him of his rights to free speech, peaceful assembly, fair trial, and liberty. A majority judges criticized the Turkish domestic courts for not “even attempting to [...]

The New Zealand government announced on Monday that it has introduced a bill to ban social media for youth under 16. The law would require social media platforms and AI companions to verify users’ ages before providing services. The Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill would require an age restriction on [...]

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association on Thursday sued the governments of Canada and Manitoba for the province’s “extremely underfunded” criminal legal aid, arguing that the underfunding violates the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence, and is discriminatory against Indigenous people in effect. The lawsuit argued that the financial eligibility criteria for [...]

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday condemned the US for its latest sanctions against Tomoko Akane, the president of the court, and Abdoulaye Seye, senior trial lawyer at the Office of the Prosecutor. The court reiterated its steadfast commitment to upholding accountability and protecting victims of international crimes. The court’s statement described the sanctions [...]

Canadian rights groups on Monday filed an urgent challenge to the constitutionality of Ontario’s mandatory cash bail policy. The challenge argued that the provincial policy violates the Charter rights to the presumption of innocence and to reasonable bail, as well as the rules of Canadian federalism. The Criminal Lawyers’ Association and the Canadian Civil Liberties [...]

The Constitutional Council of France blocked the country’s new under-15 social media ban on Friday, holding that the ban was unconstitutional. The council reasoned that the ban unjustifiably deprived children of their right to freedom of expression and communication. The council found that the ban on all online platforms that allow users to connect and [...]

The Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday ruled unanimously that a partial privative clause cannot bar judicial review on questions of fact and law. It held that judicial review on such questions is the courts’ “core supervisory jurisdiction” guaranteed by the Constitution. Chief Justice Richard Wagner, writing for the bench, held that Canada’s Constitution Act, [...]

A coalition of British Columbia rights groups on Thursday urged the Canadian province to ensure that voters in custody can exercise their right to vote. This statement comes as the pre-campaign period of the province’s 2026 general local elections begins. The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, and Prisoners’ [...]

The UK Lord Speaker, Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, warned on Thursday that the rushed House of Lords reform could have the unintended effect of “blowing a constitutional fuse.” His comments came in a public speech given at the Hansard Society. In his speech, Forsyth argued that the upper house can, without time constraints and pressures [...]

The International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations (INCLO) on Friday released a statement defending the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the announcement of a campaign by the United States Department of State that seeks to paralyze and ultimately dissolve the Court. The network reiterated that the ICC, created by the 2002 Rome Statute, is an independent [...]