Malawi’s Constitutional Court on Friday dismissed the case of two applicants seeking to legalize same-sex relationships, marking a significant setback for LGBTQ+ rights in the country. The three-member judge panel, consisting of Justices Joseph Chigona, Chimbigzani Kacheche and Vikochi Chima, delivered their ruling after six hours of deliberation. The judges ruled that the applicants failed [...]
The UK Court of Appeal ruled Thursday that the UK National Crime Agency’s (NCA) refusal to investigate the importation of Uyghur forced labour cotton from China was unlawful. The Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) have secured a historic victory, which marks the first successful case globally to disrupt supply [...]
The US Supreme Court ruled Friday in a 6-3 decision to allow cities to enforce bans on homeless encampments even when shelter space is unavailable. In City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, the plaintiffs filed a class action on behalf of the homeless population living in Grants Pass, alleging that the city’s ordinances against [...]
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the US Supreme Court to clarify whether 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1) can constitutionally prohibit both violent and non-violent offenders equally from owning guns in light of the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to keep and bear arms. The current situation arises out of numerous petitions which question the [...]
India’s Jharkhand state high court granted bail on Friday to opposition party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren in a money laundering case. The court considered the evidence presented by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the investigative agency responsible for financial crimes, and came to the conclusion that the requirements for bail set under Section [...]
Racism and intolerance towards minorities have risen for the second consecutive year in France, according to a report published Thursday by the French National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH). The 34th annual report on racism, anti-semitism and xenophobia found that the tolerance index declined by three points between November 2022 and November 2023, standing [...]
In a closely watched decision stemming from the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, the US Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the government must prove a defendant impaired or attempted to impair the availability or integrity of evidence to be convicted under a key obstruction statute. On January 6, 2021, a crowd of supporters of then-President Donald [...]
An anti-LGBTQ+ bill passed its first reading in Georgian parliament on Thursday despite “concerns across the international community.” While the bill aims to protect “family values and minors,” it has received criticism for its incompatibility with human rights and impact on LGBTQ+ citizens. Introduced earlier this year by the Georgian Dream party, the bill was [...]
The US Supreme Court ruled on Friday that courts must exercise independent judgment in assessing an agency’s statutory authority. This overruled the deference long afforded to an agency’s interpretation of its mandate under Chevron U.S.A. v. Natural Resources Defense Council. The case of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo Secretary of Commerce considered the regulation of [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported Thursday that ongoing conflict in Northern Mozambique is jeopardising education, with military use of schools on the rise despite direct school attacks decreasing. HRW highlighted the impact of the Mozambique conflict on the education system. The conflict in Northern Mozambique, primarily in the Cabo Delgado province, began in 2017 when [...]
