National Security Laws from a Common Law Perspective: Insights from the Recent Triumph of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (the “Alliance”) emerged as one of the pioneering pro-democracy entities in Hong Kong, founded amidst the fervour of...
Is the EU’s Digital Services Act Compliant with The Right to Freedom of Expression?
The Digital Services Act (DSA) is an EU Regulation that became legally binding, at large, on 17 February 2024. The DSA applies to entities based both within and outside the...
The Draconian Public Order Act – Protests Crackdown In Pakistan
The political instability in Pakistan is not unsurprising. However, the recent draconian crackdown on the protests in the capital, Islamabad, raises serious concerns and outcries. The Public Order Act enacted...
At 75 the Commonwealth Promises to Protect Media Freedom. But How?
At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa in late October 2024, leaders of the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth marked the organisation’s 75th anniversary with a...
Sedition as an Occupational Hazard for Hong Kong Journalists: Analyzing the Stand News Verdict
Stand News was an online news media established in Hong Kong in December 2014. It carried news, editorials, op-eds, blogs, and features. An opinion survey conducted during the 2019 Hong...
The Deafening Silence of Dissent: Abuse of Counter-Terror Laws in Indian-Administered Kashmir
On 5 August 2019, the Indian Parliament unilaterally abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, which provided a ‘unique status’ to the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir (“Kashmir”). The move...
Shaping Judicial Safeguards Against SLAPP Suits: Emerging Protections in Indian Law
The Supreme Court of India in Bloomberg Television v Zee Entertainment outlined stringent principles for the grant of interim orders injuncting free speech, especially in the context of SLAPP suits....
The Role of Social Media in Russia’s War in Ukraine: Durov’s Arrest as a Catalyst for Global Social Media Accountability?
The recent arrest of Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, on charges of allegedly aiding and abetting criminal activities through the platform, has cast a renewed spotlight on social media platforms’...
Is Regulating Disinformation at Odds with Free Speech? An Analysis of India’s Approach
In February 2022, I wrote on the need to penalise online disinformation or “fake news” on Indian social media to protect the freedom of thought of Indian citizens. While the...
ECOWAS Court Overlooked Nigeria’s Due Diligence Obligations in #ENDSARS Decision
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Court) delivered an important decision in the Obianuju Catherine Ude & 2 Others v Federal Republic of Nigeria case on July 10,...
Student Movements, the Right to Protest, and Bangladesh’s Human Rights Obligations
In June 2024, students in Bangladesh protested against the reinstatement of the quota system by the High Court division that reserved, among others, 30% of the total public posts for...
The ECtHR in Podchasov v. Russia – Preserving Encryption And Denying Backdoors
On 13th February 2024, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) pronounced the seminal judgment of Podchasov v. Russia, holding that the weakening of end-to-end encryption (“E2EE”) or creating backdoors...
