The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government Tuesday introduced a bill to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 years old to 14. The Justice (Age of Criminal Responsibility) Legislation Amendment Bill 2023  has been introduced in the Legislative Assembly, making the ACT the first Australian jurisdiction to increase the age of criminal responsibility [...]

Access to justice is a foundational principle of the rule of law and is often phrased as requiring “the right of equal access to justice for all” through governments providing “fair, transparent, effective, non-discriminatory and accountable services.” In Australia, this principle was described in Dietrich v. The Queen as “the equal justice for all principle.” [...]

Iran Saturday executed Swedish-Iranian dual national Habib Farajollah Chaab after being sentenced to death for charges of conspiracy and terrorism. Chaab was the leader of the group Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz (ASMLA), which Iran believes to be a terrorist organisation. The Iran Supreme Court issued the death sentence in March 2023, following [...]

Following a mass shooting at a mall in Allen, Texas Saturday, lawmakers at all levels of government released statements regarding gun laws and policies. After ordering that the United States flag be flown at half-staff at all public buildings in the nation, President Joe Biden said in a statement: Republic Members of Congress cannot continue [...]

Iran Monday executed two men in Arak Central Prison, following multiple convictions upheld by the country’s Supreme Court. According to the human rights organisation Iran Human Rights, these hangings are the most recent of 42 executions carried out in Iran in the last ten days. Mizan, a state-linked news source for Iran’s judiciary, announced the [...]

The UK Metropolitan Police arrested multiple protesters Saturday, including some associated with anti-monarchy group Republic, as they prepared to protest the coronation of King Charles III.  According to the police, some protesters intended to use rape alarms to protest the coronation, which could scare horses and create public safety risks. However, human rights groups such [...]

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International Friday urged Burkina Faso’s authorities to ensure an independent and impartial inquiry into a massacre in the northern village of Karma that occurred on April 20. This reiterated an earlier call for an investigation by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. All organizations noted that the [...]

UK Metropolitan Police (the Met) Friday announced a UK court sentenced senior Nigerian Senator Ike Ekweremadu to over nine years prison for illegal organ harvesting. A UK court convicted Ekweremadu, along with his wife and a doctor involved in the plot, in March. Ekweremadu’s wife, Beatrice Nwanneka Ekeweremadu, and Doctor Obinna Obeta were also sentenced [...]

Lawyers for Florida State Attorney Andrew Warren Thursday filed a reply in support of a federal appeals court petition to reinstate Warren as part of an ongoing dispute between Warren and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. In August 2022, DeSantis suspended Warren from his position as the lead prosecutor in Hillsborough County Florida after Warren said [...]

The North Carolina Senate Thursday passed Senate Bill 20–also known as the Care for Women, Children, and Families Act–which would ban most abortions occurring after 12 weeks of pregnancy. Current North Carolina law allows abortions up to 20 weeks. While the bill reduces that 20 week limit to 12 weeks, the bill still allows abortions [...]