Collection Items

  • Article
    Brazil: New Law Grants Special Pension to Children or Adolescents Orphaned due to Femicide On October 31, 2023, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed into law legislation that creates a special pension for children and dependents under 18 years of age who have been orphaned due to the crime of femicide, as defined in article 121(§ 2)(VI) of Brazil’s Penal Code (Código Penal, Decreto-Lei No. 2.848, de … Continue reading “Brazil: New Law Grants Special Pension...
    • Contributor: Soares, Eduardo
    • Date: 2023-11-29
  • Article
    Germany: Amendment of Competition Act Gives More Power to Federal Cartel Office On November 7, 2023, the eleventh amendment to the German Competition Act (Gesetz gegen Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen, GWB) entered into force in Germany. The amendment’s aim is to enable the Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt, BKartA) to deal more effectively with market distortions in the interest of consumers. (Explanatory memorandum at 1, 2.) For this purpose, the act … Continue reading “Germany: Amendment of Competition Act Gives...
    • Contributor: Gesley, Jenny
    • Date: 2023-11-29
  • Article
    El Salvador: Law Integrating Functions of CONMIGRANTES into Ministry of Foreign Affairs Enacted On September 26, 2023, El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly decreed the enactment of a law integrating the functions of the National Council for the Protection and Development of Migrants and Their Families (CONMIGRANTES) into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The main purpose of the law is to promote administrative efficiency within the government and consolidate efforts … Continue reading “El Salvador: Law Integrating Functions of...
    • Contributor: Goitom, Hanibal
    • Date: 2023-11-28
  • Article
    Finland: Government Closes Entire Land Border with Russia On November 28, 2023, the Finnish government announced that it will close the entire Finnish-Russian land border, including to asylum applicants, until December 13, 2023, starting at midnight on November 30, 2023. As of November 30, 2023, asylum applicants will have to apply for asylum at Finnish airports or harbors. The government cited harsh winter … Continue reading “Finland: Government Closes Entire Land Border...
    • Contributor: Hofverberg, Elin
    • Date: 2023-11-28
  • Article
    Finland: Government Closes Most Border Crossings to Russia On November 22, 2023, the Finnish government announced the temporary closure of an additional three border crossing stations between Finland and Russia. The November 22 closure comes on the heels of the closure of four other border crossings effective November 18. The closures follow a recent rise in the number of Russian asylum seekers that … Continue reading “Finland: Government Closes Most Border Crossings...
    • Contributor: Hofverberg, Elin
    • Date: 2023-11-28
  • Article
    United Kingdom: Supreme Court Rules Relocating Asylum Seekers to Rwanda Unlawful On November 15, 2023. the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (U.K.) upheld a judgment from the Court of Appeal that the government’s policy seeking to remove to Rwanda asylum seekers whose claims are determined to be inadmissible and to have their claims heard by the Rwandan authorities was incompatible with the European Convention on … Continue reading “United Kingdom: Supreme Court Rules Relocating...
    • Contributor: Feikert-Ahalt, Clare
    • Date: 2023-11-28
  • Article
    United States: Appeals Court Affirms Defendant Who Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to ISIS Violated Terms of Supervised Release On October 30, 2023, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that defendant Ali Amin’s violation of instructions from his probation officer violated the terms of his supervised release, which were imposed after he pleaded guilty for conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS. (United States v. … Continue reading “United States: Appeals Court Affirms Defendant...
    • Contributor: Friedman, Sarah
    • Date: 2023-11-27
  • Article
    Colombia: New Law Regulating Nationality Enacted On September 25, 2023, Colombia enacted Law No. 2332, whose objective is to provide comprehensive guidelines, requirements, and procedures concerning the acquisition, renunciation, and recovery of Colombian nationality. (Law No. 2332, art. 1.) The law introduces novel changes and provisions that impact both Colombian nationals and foreign individuals interested in obtaining Colombian nationality.Among the aspects … Continue reading “Colombia: New Law Regulating Nationality Enacted”
    • Contributor: Goitom, Hanibal
    • Date: 2023-11-26
  • Article
    South Korea: Supreme Court Reverses Guilty Judgment of Defamation for Scholar Who Examined World War II Comfort Women On October 26, 2023, South Korea’s Supreme Court issued a decision in Case 2017Do18697, reversing a defamation judgment against a Sejong University professor and returning the case to the Seoul High Court. The Seoul High Court had found Professor Park Yu-ha guilty in 2017 of defamation for questioning in her 2013 book The Comfort Women … Continue reading “South Korea: Supreme Court Reverses Guilty...
    • Contributor: Umeda, Sayuri
    • Date: 2023-11-23
  • Article
    Vietnam: Court Orders Five Contractors to Pay $18.7M in Compensation for Delivering Substandard Expressway On October 27, 2023, the Hanoi People’s Court ordered five contractors from China, South Korea, and Vietnam to pay 460 billion Vietnamese dong (VND) (about US$18.7 million) in compensation for delivering an expressway that did not meet quality standards.Background to the Court DecisionConstruction of the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway in central Vietnam began in 2013. … Continue reading “Vietnam: Court Orders Five Contractors to...
    • Contributor: Umeda, Sayuri
    • Date: 2023-11-21
  • Article
    Brazil: Tax Rates for Purchase of Firearms and Ammunition Increased On October 31, 2023, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promulgated Decree No. 11,764 of October 31, 2023 (Decreto No. 11.764, de 31 de Outubro de 2023), which changes the rates of the Tax on Industrial Products (Imposto sobre Produtos Industrializados, IPI). The Tax on Industrial Products rates are contained in the Tax Incidence … Continue reading “Brazil: Tax Rates for Purchase of...
    • Contributor: Soares, Eduardo
    • Date: 2023-11-20
  • Article
    Austria: Draft Law to Introduce a Fundamental Right to Information and Abolish Official Secrecy Published On October 6, 2023, the Austrian government submitted a bill to Parliament that would abolish official secrecy and introduce a constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right of access to information, as well as a Freedom of Information Act.Official Secrecy in AustriaOfficial secrecy has existed in Austria since 1925 and is enshrined in article 20, paragraph 3 of … Continue reading “Austria: Draft Law to Introduce a...
    • Contributor: Gesley, Jenny
    • Date: 2023-11-19
  • Article
    Australia: High Court Rules Indefinite Immigration Detention Unlawful On November 8, 2023, at a hearing in the case of NZYQ v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs & Anor, the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the federal judicial hierarchy, pronounced its ruling that certain provisions in the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) regarding immigration detention are “beyond the legislative power … Continue reading “Australia: High Court Rules Indefinite Immigration...
    • Contributor: Buchanan, Kelly
    • Date: 2023-11-16
  • Article
    Italy: New Law Introduces Crimes of Nautical Homicide and Nautical Personal Injury On October 25, 2023, Law No. 138 of September 26, 2023, Introducing the Crimes of Nautical Homicide and Nautical Personal Injury, entered into effect in Italy.General ContextDuring recent years, Italy has seen a sharp spike in nautical-related collisions and stranding of vessels. A Genoa-based consulting company specializing in pleasure and commercial boating has reported that in … Continue reading “Italy: New Law Introduces Crimes...
    • Contributor: Figueroa, Dante
    • Date: 2023-11-16
  • Article
    France: New Law Establishes Legal Framework for 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games On May 19, 2023, France enacted Law No. 2023-380 to establish a comprehensive legal framework for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which are scheduled to be held in Paris and several other cities from July 24 to September 8, 2024. This legislation is the culmination of a series of parliamentary amendments and includes legal … Continue reading “France: New Law Establishes Legal Framework...
    • Contributor: Buchanan, Kelly
    • Date: 2023-11-15
  • Article
    Kuwait: New Policies Approved to Replace Expats with Kuwaiti Citizens in Public and Private Sectors On October 2, 2023, the National Committee for the Organization of the Demographic Structure in Kuwait approved new policies to increase the number of Kuwaiti citizens working in the public and private sectors.The committee, established by Prime Ministerial Resolution No. 392 of May 15, 2023, is responsible for reducing the numbers of expats living in … Continue reading “Kuwait: New Policies Approved to Replace...
    • Contributor: Sadek, George
    • Date: 2023-11-14
  • Article
    Egypt: Supreme Council for Media Blocks News Media Website for Violating Press and Media Law On October 29, 2023, Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media (SCM) issued a decision to block the website of the Mada Masr news media outlet. The SCM accused Mada Masr of violating articles 6 and 59 of Law No. 180 of 2018, known as the “Media and Press Law.” The SCM also accused the journalists of … Continue reading “Egypt: Supreme Council for Media Blocks...
    • Contributor: Sadek, George
    • Date: 2023-11-13
  • Article
    United States: Appeals Court Reverses District Court Dismissal of Tribe's Hunting Rights Complaint On October 17, 2023, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation v. Wooten, reversing and remanding the District Court of Idaho’s decision to dismiss the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation’s complaint about the tribe’s reservation of hunting rights for failure to … Continue reading “United States: Appeals Court Reverses District...
    • Contributor: Friedman, Sarah
    • Date: 2023-11-12
  • Article
    United States: Federal Appellate Court Holds Social Media Messages Sufficient to Establish Personal Jurisdiction On October 31, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that an individual could be subject to personal jurisdiction in an out-of-state court on the basis of messages sent over social media. (Johnson, et al. v. Griffin, No. 23-5257 (6th Cir. 2023) (Opinion).) The facts giving rise to this case involve … Continue reading “United States: Federal Appellate Court Holds...
    • Contributor: Price, Anna
    • Date: 2023-11-08
  • Article
    Kazakhstan: New Legal Framework for Online Platforms and Online Advertising Takes Effect On September 9, 2023, Law No. 18-VIII on Online Platforms and Online Advertising entered into force in the Republic of Kazakhstan. This law, which was signed by the president of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on July 10, 2023, creates the legal framework for operating online platforms, prescribes the rights and responsibilities of online platform owners (bloggers) and … Continue reading “Kazakhstan: New Legal Framework for...
    • Contributor: Fremer, Iana
    • Date: 2023-11-07
  • Article
    New Zealand: White Island Management Company Found Guilty of Health and Safety Breach On October 31, 2023, an Auckland District Court judge released his judgment in the case of WorkSafe New Zealand v Whakaari Management Limited, in which the company, which leased and managed Whakaari/White Island at the time of the volcanic eruption there on December 19, 2019, was found guilty of a charge under the Health and … Continue reading “New Zealand: White Island Management Company...
    • Contributor: Buchanan, Kelly
    • Date: 2023-11-06
  • Article
    Morocco: New Draft Law on Alternative Sentencing Proposed On June 9, 2023, the Moroccan Cabinet approved Draft Law No. 43.22 and referred the bill to Parliament in the same month. It is currently under the parliamentary review and deliberation. The bill aims to reduce the number of prisoners in the Morocco’s overcrowded prisons.Content of Draft Law No. 43.22The alternative penalties cited under the … Continue reading “Morocco: New Draft Law on Alternative...
    • Contributor: Sadek, George
    • Date: 2023-11-05
  • Article
    Germany: Ministry of the Interior Bans Activities of Hamas and Samidoun On November 2, 2023, the German Federal Ministry of the Interior enacted bans on the activities of Hamas (Hamas Ban) and the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network (Samidoun) (Samidoun Ban) in Germany, which took immediate effect. (Vereinsgesetz §§ 3, 14, 15, 18.) Furthermore, it prohibited the suborganization Samidoun Germany and dissolved it.The ban on Hamas states that … Continue reading “Germany: Ministry of the Interior...
    • Contributor: Gesley, Jenny
    • Date: 2023-11-03
  • Article
    India: Parliament Enacts 'Women's Reservation Bill' On September 28, 2023, the president of India, Droupadi Murmu, granted assent to the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, also referred to as the “Women’s Reservation Bill.” The act amends India’s Constitution to reserve for women one-third of all seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s bicameral Parliament; the … Continue reading “India: Parliament Enacts ‘Women’s Reservation Bill’”
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2023-11-02
  • Article
    European Union: Commission Launches Anti-subsidy Investigation into Imports of Battery Electric Vehicles from China On October 4, 2023, the European Commission initiated a formal anti-subsidy investigation (C/2023/160) in accordance with article 10, paragraph 8 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1037. The investigation focuses on imports of new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) originating in China that are designed for transporting passengers. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced … Continue reading “European Union: Commission Launches Anti-subsidy Investigation...
    • Contributor: Gesley, Jenny
    • Date: 2023-11-01