Democratic Backsliding vs the Diagonal Accountability Branch: Lessons from the Kimmel Episode — Part I
When Jimmy Kimmel cracked a joke about Charlie Kirk’s murderer, he likely never imagined that this routine act of satirical commentary could lead to him being effectively silenced by private...
When Context Trumps History: The Malema Case and Hate Speech Law in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Hate speech law in South Africa sits uneasily at the intersection of history and context. Nowhere is this clearer than in South African Human Rights Commission & Another v. Julius...
Is Bangladesh Violating Its ICCPR Obligations?
On 29 August 2025, Bangladesh witnessed an incident where a former Minister, Abdul Latif Siddique, Dhaka University Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, journalist Manzurul Alam, and at least 13 others were...
AI, Surveillance and Privacy in India: Human Rights in the Age of Technology
In recent years, India has increasingly adopted artificial intelligence (AI) surveillance tools. This includes facial recognition cameras at railway stations and predictive policing software in city police departments. The country’s...
Overlapping Sabotage Provisions in Hong Kong’s National Security Laws: Risks and Implications on Prosecution Decisions
In response to the widespread public unrests that engulfed Hong Kong in 2019, the Central Authorities of the PRC enacted the Hong Kong National Security Law (“HKNSL”) to explicitly criminalise...
Weaponizing Vagueness: The Chilling Effect of Karnataka’s Fake News Bill on Free Speech and Democratic Pluralism
In March 2025, the Government of Karnataka introduced the draft Misinformation and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill, currently under cabinet review. At first glance, the Bill seems to respond to a...
The US TAKE IT DOWN Act: The Fight Against Deepfake-Enabled TFGBV and Human Rights
On 19 May 2025, the US President signed a new law named TAKE IT DOWN Act (S.146) (‘the Act’), which protects victims of real and deepfake ‘revenge pornography,’ a crime...
Revisiting Right to Information in India: Is the DPDP Act counterproductive to RTI Act?
The Right to Information Act of 2005 (‘RTI Act’) in India empowers citizens to demand transparency and accountability from the government. However, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (‘DPDP...
The Peculiar Phenomenon of ‘Kid-Gurus’ in India
At just 10 years old, Abhinav Arora has garnered nearly a million followers on Instagram – as a spiritual leader. He is not alone. There are many other ‘kid-gurus’ being...
Silenced Voices: The Fall of Press Freedom in Afghanistan
On 3 May, World Press Freedom Day reminded governments of their duty to uphold press freedom, and honoured the journalists who risk—and lose—their lives in pursuit of the truth. It...
The Legality of Indore’s Anti-Begging Notification
The District Administration of the city of Indore, India has issued a notification under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 (the new Criminal Procedure Code), penalising...
Digital Control vs. Digital Rights: Critiquing Bangladesh’s Approach to Internet Shutdown
Internet shutdowns obstruct universal access to internet, hindering freedom of expression, the right to information and right to peaceful assembly, economic security, education and health services for the citizens. Nonstop...
