Covid-19: Crushing Silence Greets Calls to Top Up Child Support Grants in South Africa
Three weeks into an extensive national lockdown, the South African government has yet to announce any concrete economic relief for the country’s poorest households. This is notwithstanding compelling economic analysis...
Covid-19 in Sri Lanka: Is Free Speech the next Victim?
On 1 April 2020, Sri Lanka’s police announced that it would arrest those who disseminate false or disparaging statements about government officials combating the spread of the Covid-19 virus. In...
Pre-recorded evidence in Australia in an era of COVID-19
As the Australian government struggles to keep up with the rapid pace of COVID-19 (coronavirus), societal freedoms are being restricted. At the same time, certain constraints around criminal procedure are...
Legal and Ethical Considerations for Forced Testing and Quarantine in the Time of COVID-19
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the South African state has enacted regulations which allow for forced testing and quarantine. These regulations limit the rights of persons but are likely...
Coronavirus and the Proceduralisation of Rights
The House of Lords Constitution Committee recently published its recommendations in relation to the government’s fast-tracked Coronavirus Bill 2020. The House of Lords debates have welcomed the government’s decision not...
Use of Artificial Intelligence by the Judiciary in the Face of COVID-19
As one of the measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, courts in major parts of the world are delaying trials and temporarily closing doors. While the move...
COVID-19, Emergency Basic Income and the Right to Life in Brazil
The coronavirus outbreak hit Brazil at a particularly difficult moment. Since 2016, Constitutional Amendment (EC) nº. 95 is in force. The provision, dubbed the “mother of all austerity plans“, limits...
The Impact of COVID-19 on World’s Refugees
While official responses to the novel COVID-19 have focused on domestic impacts of the virus, we cannot overlook its impact on humanitarian crises and displaced populations. With over 126 million...
‘But a Small Price to Pay’ – Degradation of Rights in Childbirth During COVID-19
‘No visitors. Induced labor. Converted delivery wards. Tens of thousands of women across the country are giving birth in unprecedented circumstances.’ Maternal healthcare is changing around the world in response...
We Must Stop the Corona Crash Becoming a Depression, with Ten Social Rights
The corona virus has triggered a stock market crash sharper and faster than the global financial crisis. It threatens a depression unless we aggressively protect social rights. Companies with plummeting...
Coronavirus: States Derogating to Suspend Human Rights Obligations
Governments around the world are taking decisive action to contain the spread of a novel coronavirus, (COVID-19), with heavy implications for human rights. Commentators have assessed containment measures in blogs...
Dignity, the Right to Life, and the Coronavirus
The current coronavirus crisis has highlighted the weaknesses of UK law and the system of government. The Prime Minister spent weeks obfuscating. Each day he equivocated more and more people...
