Belgium Recognises the Crime of Ecocide: A (Lukewarm) European First
On 22 February 2024, Belgium made history by adopting a new penal code that criminalises ‘ecocide’ at the national level. This marks the first time that such a domestic prohibition...
Women’s Invisible Labour, Kinkeeping and Care: Ireland’s 8 March Constitutional Referendum
On International Women’s Day, Ireland will hold votes on two proposed changes to Article 41 of the Constitution. The first would extend constitutional protection to families other than those based...
Coming of Age: The Establishment of 18 as the Legal Minimum Age for Marriage
Recent reports from the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) highlight a global decline in child marriage. Yet the practice still persists, impacting 640 million girls and women in...
Resisting the Legal Assault on Transgender and Gender Non-Binary Students
Since the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v Hodges striking down same-sex marriage bans across the United States, conservative States and localities—perhaps motivated by the politics of resentment stemming...
Empathy and Justice: Abortion Rights for Minor Rape Victims in India
Otherwise viewed as a laudable step in addressing rights to abort, India’s Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 (MTP) inadvertently leaves minor rape victims vulnerable. A recent decision of the...
The erasure from Australian schools of education about LGBTIQA+ people
Australia achieved marriage equality in 2017. You would be forgiven for thinking that the next step on the journey towards achieving equality for LGBTIQA+ people would be that the school...
Canadian Youth Climate Action Challenge Proceeds to Trial: La Rose v His Majesty the King
As frustration with government inaction grows, youth, especially young women, are occupying positions of leadership and taking governments to court to leverage change. In Canada, where climate change effects are...
Community Sentencing: A Positive Shift in the Indian Criminal Justice System
A number of alternatives to custodial sentences have been introduced in the Indian criminal justice system, with progress being made over time towards open prisons, probation, and rehabilitation centres. Yet...
Queensland’s Suspension of Human Rights Act for Youth Detention
The state government of Queensland in Australia has suspended its Human Rights Act, paving the way for the indefinite confinement of children, some as young as 10 years, in police...
Giving Voice to the Vulnerable: How Advisory Opinions Have the Potential to Advance Climate Justice through International Courts
In the context of the current climate crisis, climate change litigation has taken a new form over the past year. There have been increasing requests for advisory opinions from international...
Los derechos de las niñas y niños y la esclavitud moderna: Cerrando una brecha en la literatura y la práctica
La esclavitud moderna es una cuestión que involucra los derechos de las niñas y niños. Existen implicaciones en sus derechos antes, durante y después de la explotación. Sin embargo, la...
Children’s Rights and Modern Slavery: Bridging a Gap in Literature and Practice
Modern slavery is a children’s rights issue. Children’s rights are implicated before, during, and after exploitation. Yet, academic literature on modern slavery and exploitation rarely addresses children’s rights. A systematic...
