In November 2022, a petition was filed before the Supreme Court of India to allow legal recognition of marriages between same-sex couples under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 (“SMA”). The petitioner in Supriyo @ Supriya Chakraborty v. Union of India (“Supriyo”) has been in a committed relationship for ten years and is living with his [...]

Amnesty International Friday reported that members of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group killed at least 20 men and raped “scores of women” in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The report states the M23 rebel group, which the DRC and UN allege is backed by Rwanda, is responsible for “indiscriminate attacks [...]

The Spanish government Thursday granted final approval to a law creating paid menstrual leave for workers, making it the first European country to pass such legislation. The bill modifies Organic Law 2/2010 on sexual and reproductive health and the voluntary interruption of pregnancy. It was approved following a final debate in the plenary session of the [...]

The recent inflating of U.S.-China tensions has popped the illusion that Washington and Beijing might be able to limit their antagonism to economic competition, as the scuttling of a high-level diplomatic summit in Beijing over the shooting of a Chinese spy balloon recalls the postponement of an Eisenhower-Khrushchev meeting in 1960 following the downing of [...]

The Federal Court of Australia Thursday agreed to release documents to the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and The Guardian filed in a case by former Australian solder Dominic de Pyle. The case alleges that Pyle’s human rights were violated when he was required to perform sex acts as part of his training. The Australian government [...]

Spanish Parliament Thursday approved a law aimed at increasing the rights of trans and gender-nonconforming minors. The bill permits anyone over the age of 16 to change their legal gender identities and names without parental, governmental or medical approval. It passed with 191 votes in favor and 60 against. Previously, adults in Spain needed a [...]

For scholars, constitutional (or unconstitutional) revolution is an opportunity to test theories about legal and political changes, democratic legitimacy, identifying what the rule of recognition is, and more. But on the ground, a process of democratic backslide is mostly a matter of grave concern, fear, stress, and sometimes even anger. It requires determination, dedication, and [...]

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro Thursday announced that he will not issue execution warrants while in office, thus continuing a moratorium on the death penalty in Pennsylvania. The governor also called on the PA General Assembly to abolish the death penalty in Pennsylvania. Speaking in Philadelphia, Shapiro shared that his view of the use of the [...]

The Kentucky Supreme Court Thursday ruled to keep two statewide abortion restrictions in place. Both restrictions went into effect when the US Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, and found that there is no federal constitutional right to abortion, in June 2022. The decision addressed two statutes: KRS 311.722 (the trigger ban) and KRS 311.7707-11 [...]

The First Senate of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany Thursday held that provisions authorizing police to use personal data through automated data analysis or automated data interpretation are unconstitutional. The provisions, § 25a(1) of the Hessian Law on Public Safety and Order and §49(1) of the Act on Data Processing by the Police for Hamburg, [...]