Stories about Law from August, 2024
Guyana's Sir Shridath Ramphal, esteemed international statesman, dies at 95
"[Some men] have become famous because in their fight for human justice, they have chosen the entire world as their theatre. Shridath Ramphal is one of those men."
Two Hong Kong journalists found guilty of sedition after a 2-year trial
Two former chief editors of the now-defunct Stand News were found guilty of sedition, marking the first such conviction of journalists since the former British colony returned to China in 1997.
Ecuador's conflicts of power: Was there an ‘attempted coup d'état’ or ‘political gender violence'?
The dispute between Ecuador's president and vice-president underscores the growing political instability in the country.
What are the controversies over Hong Kong’s latest cybersecurity bill?
“The proposals give authorities overly broad powers that could threaten the integrity of service providers and rock confidence in the city’s digital economy.”
How LGBTQ+ people live in Russia after being labeled an extremist community
How has life changed for queer people across different regions of Russia after the ban on the LGBTQ+ "movement?" What do they fear and dream about?
Fear and intolerance: The impact of blasphemy allegations on Pakistan’s minorities
Pakistan’s 8.7 million minorities face escalating religious extremism and violence, including forced conversions, mob attacks, and blasphemy accusations, fuelled by the growing influence of extremist groups like Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP).
‘We have nothing except our hearts, and our minds': Vietnamese activist sentenced to five years in prison
“The only thing we did was to act in accordance with our conscience, speak up our thoughts, our desire, our longing.”
Website blocking in India: One arrow for all
A report last updated in March 2024 by a digital rights organization observed that 55,607 websites were blocked between 2015 and 2023.
In Turkey, a street interview lands a citizen in jail
“Insulting the president,” and “inciting hatred and hostility among the public,” are both common charges leveled against government critics in Turkey.
New laws, old shadows: India's criminal legislation overhaul
In August 2023, the Indian government aimed to modernize and Indianize India’s legal frameworks by moving beyond the colonial legacy and overhauling the country’s criminal laws.
Bangladesh 2.0: Youth-led movement ends Sheikh Hasina's 16-year rule, seeks reform
A student-led uprising, supported by hundreds of thousands of citizens, defied PM Sheikh Hasina's heavy-handed measures. The escalating unrest led to anarchy, resulting in her resignation and departure from the country.
Barbados’ decision to give outstanding centenarians its stamp of approval is just one way the country honours its elders
Barbados has long-standing traditions of celebrating the elderly and making them feel special and included, yet elderly abuse is a pressing concern.
Malaysia’s social media licensing rule: Online protection or censorship?
"Licensing of social media platforms is unnecessary, high-handed and poses a serious danger to our democratic right to criticise or question the Government."
Azerbaijan: Continued arrests and allegations of mass torture ahead of COP29
The forms of ill-treatment and torture documented by the committee — slaps, punches, kicks and truncheon or wooden stick blows to the person’s head and/or body — are widespread.
Sri Lanka elections: Will the real Wickremesinghe, Premadasa and Dissanayake please stand up?
Over 4,000 tweets associated with President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake were analyzed to uncover their artificially constructed identities.
After he spent 13 years in jail on a murder charge, what does dancehall deejay Vybz Kartel's release say about Jamaica's judicial system?
Kartel's case has highlighted not only issues of judicial process, but also poor conditions within the country's prisons.
Turkey blocks access to Instagram
According to the most recent Internet Censorship report produced by the Free Web Turkey platform, in total, “access to 219,059 URLs, including 197,907 domain names were blocked in Turkey in 2023.”
When will fair employment for people with disabilities become a reality in Thailand?
"Does society perceive them as people with dreams and aspirations, or solely as vulnerable and marginalised with scarce opportunities all the time?"
