The Indian Supreme Court Reserves Judgment on the De-criminalisation of Homosexuality
In 2009, the High Court of Delhi handed down a landmark judgment in Naz Foundation v NCT of Delhi. It read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which...
The Restitution of Conjugal Rights in Indian Law violates the Right to Privacy
In 1983, the Indian Supreme Court held that the right to privacy did not guarantee the autonomy of an individual over her own body, and so the restitution of conjugal...
“A New Form of Discrimination”: Civil Partnerships for Different-Sex Couples in the UK Supreme Court
Civil partnerships were introduced by the New Labour government in the UK in 2005 to give same-sex couples many of the protections and rights afforded to married couples without actually...
Landmark Judgment for Women’s Rights
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom concluded on the 7th June 2018 that Northern Ireland’s laws on termination of pregnancy are incompatible with human rights. More specifically, in situations...
The Right to Die with Dignity: The Indian Supreme Court Allows Passive Euthanasia and Living Wills
In a landmark judgment (Common Cause (A Regd. Society) v. Union of India & Anr.) delivered on 9th March, 2018, the Supreme Court of India held that a person in...
What the Right To Privacy Judgment Means for India’s Marital Rape Exception
Following Puttaswamy v Union of India – in which the judges unanimously and unequivocally ruled that a right to privacy exists – the marital rape exception found in the Indian...
CCTV Cameras in Classrooms: The Conflict between Security and Privacy
The Chief Minister of Delhi recently announced his decision to install CCTV cameras in all public schools, and to provide real time access to the footage to the parents of...
Decriminalising homosexuality in India: The Long, Twisted Road of Section 377
Section 377, Indian Penal Code: Unnatural offences – Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for...
International Law, Right to Privacy and Marital Rape in India
In an order dated 6/11/2017, the High Court of Gujarat described marital rape as “a disgraceful offence that has scarred the trust and confidence in the institution of marriage”, proposing...
Why Artificial Intelligence is Already a Human Rights Issue
Last month, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Professor Philip Alston released a statement following his official visit to the United States. Beyond many issues around taxation,...
Argentine Supreme Court Strikes Down Mandatory Religion Classes in Public Schools
In the recent case “Castillo c. Provincia de Salta”, the Argentine Supreme Court declared the unconstitutionality of a provincial norm that imposed religious education in public schools during school hours....
Einarsson v Iceland: Worrying Implications for Discussing Rape Allegations on Social Media
This post analyses Einarsson v Iceland, a defamation case in which a celebrity sued an Instagram user (‘X’) for calling them a ‘rapist’ on social media. The judgment has worrying...