Ireland’s Abortion Ban: Subjecting Women to Suffering and Discrimination
Ireland has one of the world’s most restrictive abortion law regimes. Following a referendum in 1983, the 8th Amendment of the Irish Constitution was inserted in the form of Article...
The Hillsborough 96 and the Struggle for Truth and Justice
On 26 April 2016, the end of the longest jury case in British legal history saw the families and supporters of the Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG) and Hillsborough Justice...
Human Rights Advisory Panel urges the UN to compensate Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian families for lead poisoning in IDP camps
On 8 April 2016, the Human Rights Advisory Panel (HRAP) released its long-awaited opinion in the case of N.M & others against the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo...
UK and the Assisted Dying Bill: Autonomy in Death Continues to Wait Its Turn
Last week, the Assisted Dying (No.2) Bill (‘the Bill’) was rejected by 330 to 118 in a historic vote in the House of Commons. The Bill was the first ever...
Law Commission of India Recommends Abolition of the Death Penalty: A Historic First Step
In what can be termed as a watershed moment in the fight against death penalty in India, the Law Commission in its 262nd report (‘2015 report’) has recommended the abolition...
Justifying Deadly Force in the American Supreme Court
The case of City of Los Angeles v. Contreras, currently up for first-round consideration before the Supreme Court of the United States, centres on an important question of criminal procedure:...
The Death Penalty Lives on in Zambia Despite the Country’s Constitutional Reform
Zambia, like most countries in Africa, has retained the death sentence on its criminal law statutes for a limited number of offences. Recently, though, and against the tide of death...
Santhara: Jains’ Right to Exit with Dignity
The Jain religion of India has been embroiled in legal controversy surrounding the practice of Santhara or Sallekhana. The Jains, a religious minority in the country, believe in the immortality...
Euthanasia Case in South Africa: Does the Right to Life Include the Right to Die with Dignity?
On the 5th May 2015, the Pretoria High Court delivered a judgment in Stransham-Ford v Minister of Justice and Correctional Services and Others that marks a significant step towards the...
Blasphemy Laws and Human Rights in Pakistan
Notorious blasphemy laws have a significant impact on minority communities in Pakistan. Particularly their right to life, freedom of speech and freedom of religion as enshrined in Pakistan’s constitution and...
Implementation of Carter will be the Ultimate Gauge of Success of the Decision
In a unanimous judgment released on February 6, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada became the ninth jurisdiction in the world to recognize some form of assisted death. The federal...
Supreme Court of Canada Strikes Down Ban on Physician Assisted Death
In a landmark decision, on February 6, 2015 the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously struck down the criminal prohibition against physician assisted death (PAD) in Carter v Canada. The Court...
