Law Commons^™

Exploring The Relationship Between International Law And National Legal Systems: Economic, Social And Cultural Rights In Malaysia And Indonesia, Alice De Jonge Dr

Alice de Jonge Dr

The paper begins by summarising economic, social and cultural rights in international human rights law. The paper then explores the status of international law within the Constitutional legal systems of Malaysia and Indonesia. The paper then focuses upon the current status of social, economic and cultural rights in Malaysia and Indonesia. The paper concludes by noting the inter-relatedness and interdependence of all human rights – economic, social, cultural, civil and political.

Law Of Trade In Human Rights: A Legal Analysis Of The Intersection Of The General Trade Agreement Of Tariff’S Article Xx(B) And Labor Rights Of Children., Paul Cook

Paul Cook

China's child labor is on the rise with its 8% annual economic growth. Children are valued for their labor for several reasons: their cheaper price, their ignorance of their legal rights, their dexterous hands, and good eye sight. The use of juvenile labor is most prevalent in the following industries: toy production, textiles, construction, food production, and light mechanical work. Underage laborers are particularly vulnerable to job related hazards resulting in injury and death, and this is because they tend to be less aware of workplace hazards than do adult workers. Children begin work as early as twelve years old …

I Wanna Marry You: An Empirical Analysis Of The Distraction And Irrelevancy Of Doma, Deirdre M. Bowen

Deirdre M Bowen

This article offers the only empirical analysis to date of national data evaluating the claim that DOMAs preserve and stabilize the family. After concluding that DOMA is not associated with this goal, the article explores what variables are correlated with family stability. Next, the article explores moral entrepreneurism and moral panic as a theoretical explanation for DOMAs continued attraction. Finally, the article offers pragmatic recommendations for achieving family stability.

Ties That Bind: The Irrelevancy And Distraction Of Doma, Deirdre Bowen

Deirdre M Bowen

This article offers the only empirical analysis to date of national data evaluating the claim that DOMAs preserve and stabilize the family. After concluding that DOMA is not associated with this goal, the article explores what variables are correlated with family stability. Next, the article explores moral entrepreneurism and moral panic as a theoretical explanation for DOMAs continued attraction. Finally, the article offers pragmatic recommendations for achieving family stability.

Default State Attribution Rather Than Dual Attribution In The Troop-Contributing Context, Osama Almughrabi

Osama Almughrabi

This note discusses Mustafic, a recent Dutch appellate court decision in which the court held the Netherlands responsible for the failure of Dutch peacekeeping troops during the Srebrenika massacre. More specifically, the Dutch court held that both the Netherlands and the UN could be held responsible for the actions of those contributed Dutch troops. However, this note argues that this so-called “dual attribution” applied by the Dutch court is not supported by international law, nor is it likely to become international law in the foreseeable future. Instead, the note proposes an original framework for attributing the conduct of contributed troops, …

Brazil Begins To Investigate Its Dark Past, But Is It Too Little Too Late?, Thomas Thompson-Flores

Thomas L Thompson-Flores

This article analyzes the history of Brazil, the current legal battle over its Amnesty Law, and finally compares the transitional justice process chosen in Brazil versus other South American countries. An historical background of Brazil from 1964 to the present is given to illustrate the reasons behind the methods chosen by Brazil to implement transitional justice in the country. This historical summary begins with the military’s rise to power in 1964; then discusses the harsh policies implemented by the military in order to maintain its power; the process of democratic transition; and finally the steps taken by Brazil in recent …

Livingstone And The Law: Africa’S Greatest Explorer And The Abolition Of The Slave Trade, Jay Milbrandt

Jay Milbrandt

Few historical events have had such tragic, widespread, and lingering consequences as the exportation of slaves from Africa. While the abolition of western Africa’s transatlantic slave trade is well documented, the events and legal framework that led to the abolition of the slave trade in East Africa remain practically untold. There, an unlikely hero championed abolition: Missionary and explorer Dr. David Livingstone. His method: an ambitious publicity stunt to dramatically change international law.

This article will illustrate how explorer David Livingstone’s advocacy profoundly affected the legal landscape to restrict the slave trade in East Africa, and eventually dealt the deathblow …

Conference: Reparations In The Inter-American System: A Comparative Approach Conference, Ignacio Alvarez, Carlos Ayala, David Baluarte, Agustina Del Campo, Santiago A. Canton, Dean Claudio Grossman, Darren Hutchinson, Pablo Jacoby, Viviana Krsticevic, Elizabeth Abi-Mershed, Fernanda Nicola, Diego Rodríguez-Pinzón, Francisco Quintana, Sergio Garcia Ramirez, Alice Riener, Frank La Rue, Dinah Shelton, Ingrid Nifosi Sutton, Armstrong Wiggins

Darren L Hutchinson

This publication will enhance the understanding of what we call the law of reparations, developed in the Inter-American Court and Commission of Human Rights. Reparations have a special meaning for the victims of human rights violations and, in particular, the victims of mass and gross violations that took place in this hemisphere during the twentieth century. For those victims and their family members, reestablishing the rights as if no violation had occurred is not possible. Accordingly, to them, avoiding the repetition of those violations in the future is of paramount importance. In achieving that goal, what the victims want is …

Confine Is Fine: Have The Non-Dangerous Mentally Ill Lost Their Right To Liberty? An Empirical Study To Unravel The Psychiatrist's Crystal Ball, Donald Stone

Donald H. Stone

This article will examine the reverse trend in civil commitment laws in the wake of recent tragedies and discuss the effect of broader civil commitment standards on the care and treatment of the mentally ill. The 2007 Virginia Tech shooting and the 2011 shooting of Congresswoman Giffords have spurred fierce debates about the dangerousness of mentally ill and serve as cautionary tale about what happens when warning signs go unnoticed and opportunities for early intervention missed. This article will explore the misconception about the role medication and inpatient civil commitments should play in prevention of dangerousness and undermine the belief …

Emerging Economies After The Global Financial Crisis: The Case Of Brazil, Enrique Carrasco, Sean Williams

Enrique R Carrasco

Abstract Emerging economies have rebounded relatively quickly from the 2008 global financial crisis and, despite various challenges they face resulting from the European sovereign debt crisis, they face bright economic futures. While many observers have focused on China and India, Brazil is an emerging economy that has enjoyed increasing visibility. This article examines Brazil’s evolution into an emerging economy, or, given the market-based nature of the term, an emerging market economy (EME). After outlining the broadly accepted definition of an EME, we examine Brazil’s path towards becoming an EME, from the “pre-emergent” Brazil to its current status as an EME. …

Aesthetics And Human Rights, Winston Nagan, Aitza Haddad

Winston P Nagan

This article seeks to contribute to a better understating of the relationship between aesthetics and fundamental human rights. The initial challenge was to develop a more clarified conception of aesthetics as a social process in order to better mark those aspects of aesthetics that have clear human rights implications. This required us to contextualize the aesthetics process in terms of the generally accepted model of communications theory, and then to deepened the inquiry using this model as the broad architectural foundation for unpacking the social process of aesthetics. These ideas were put into the context of significant contributions from the …

U.S. Asylum Law As A Path To Religious Persecution, Jack Dolance

Jack C Dolance II

U.S. asylum law protects against persecution “on account of . . . religion.” But must the law protect a non-believer seeking religious asylum in the United States? Many may instinctively answer “no,” for a non-believer is by most definitions not “religious.” Such a response misses the mark, however—at least in the context of U.S. asylum law, which is subject to the First Amendment. The protection of religious liberty enshrined in the First Amendment embodies freedom from persecution on account of one’s “religion”—in whatever form that religion may take. In the asylum context, then, “religion” must be defined broadly. Protection from …

U.S. Asylum Law As A Path To Religious Persecution, Jack Dolance

Jack C Dolance II

U.S. asylum law protects against persecution “on account of . . . religion.” But must the law protect a non-believer seeking religious asylum in the United States? Many may instinctively answer “no,” for a non-believer is by most definitions not “religious.” Such a response misses the mark, however—at least in the context of U.S. asylum law, which is subject to the First Amendment. The protection of religious liberty enshrined in the First Amendment embodies freedom from persecution on account of one’s “religion”—in whatever form that religion may take. In the asylum context, then, “religion” must be defined broadly. Protection from …

U.S. Asylum Law As A Path To Religious Persecution, Jack Dolance

Jack C Dolance II

U.S. asylum law protects against persecution “on account of . . . religion.” But must the law protect a non-believer seeking religious asylum in the United States? Many may instinctively answer “no,” for a non-believer is by most definitions not “religious.” Such a response misses the mark, however—at least in the context of U.S. asylum law, which is subject to the First Amendment. The protection of religious liberty enshrined in the First Amendment embodies freedom from persecution on account of one’s “religion”—in whatever form that religion may take. In the asylum context, then, “religion” must be defined broadly. Protection from …

U.S. Asylum Law As A Path To Religious Persecution, Jack Dolance

Jack C Dolance II

U.S. asylum law protects against persecution “on account of . . . religion.” But must the law protect a non-believer seeking religious asylum in the United States? Many may instinctively answer “no,” for a non-believer is by most definitions not “religious.” Such a response misses the mark, however—at least in the context of U.S. asylum law, which is subject to the First Amendment. The protection of religious liberty enshrined in the First Amendment embodies freedom from persecution on account of one’s “religion”—in whatever form that religion may take. In the asylum context, then, “religion” must be defined broadly. Protection from …

The Emerging Restrictions Of Sovereign Immunity: Premptory Norms Of International Law, The Un Charter, And The Application Of Modern Communications Theory, Winston P. Nagan

Winston P Nagan

The article is titled The Emerging Restrictions on Sovereign Immunity: Peremptory Norms of International Law, the UN Charter, and the Application of Modern Communications Theory. The article provides a fresh re-examination of the conceptual foundations of the sovereign immunity doctrine in the light of the changing character of sovereignty itself. This is done in the context of the changing expectations in international law generated by the UN Charter, and the development of human rights and humanitarian law. The article applies the innovative communications theories generated by the New Haven School to provide a more realistic and relevant approach to the …

Children, Chimps, And Rights Arguments From "Marginal" Cases, Richard Cupp

Richard L. Cupp Jr.

Are animals the new children regarding legal personhood and rights? Animal law is likely the fastest-growing course offering in United States law schools over the past decade. The core question in this subject is how close law should come to treating animals like humans, with the penultimate issue being whether animals should be granted legal personhood status and some legal rights. Most writers addressing this issue, including prominent scholars such as Cass Sunstein, Lawrence Tribe, Martha Nussbaum and Alan Dershowitz, have supported extending a legal rights paradigm to at least some animals. A thesis that is often called the “argument …

Global Health Justice: Towards A Framework Convention On Global Health—A Transformative Agenda For Global Governance For Health, Lawrence O. Gostin

Lawrence O. Gostin

Global health inequities cause 20 million deaths annually, mostly among the world’s poor. Yet, international law to reduce these inequalities is sparse. We propose a new global health treaty, a Framework Convention on Global Health (FCGH), based on the human right to health. Already endorsed by the UN Secretary-General, the FCGH would re-imagine global governance for health, offering a new post-Millennium Development Goals vision. A global coalition of civil society and academics has formed an international campaign to advocate for an FCGH—the Joint Action and Learning Initiative (JALI). This article provides the first systematic account of the goals and justifications …

Global Health Justice: Towards A Framework Convention On Global Health—A Transformative Agenda For Global Governance For Health, Lawrence O. Gostin

Lawrence O. Gostin

Global health inequities cause 20 million deaths annually, mostly among the world’s poor. Yet, international law to reduce these inequalities is sparse. We propose a new global health treaty, a Framework Convention on Global Health (FCGH), based on the human right to health. Already endorsed by the UN Secretary-General, the FCGH would re-imagine global governance for health, offering a new post-Millennium Development Goals vision. A global coalition of civil society and academics has formed an international campaign to advocate for an FCGH—the Joint Action and Learning Initiative (JALI). This article provides the first systematic account of the goals and justifications …

Marching Across The Putative Black/White Race Line: A Convergence Of Narrology, History And Theory, Carol Zeiner

Carol Zeiner

When a woman in the South, whether African American or white, made the decision to become active in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, she did so in the face of reprisals that ranged from loss of friends and alienation of relatives, to outright social ostracism, loss of employment for family members, physical harm and even violent death. Her choice exposed not only herself, but also members of her family, to those risks. She had to deal with the fear of not knowing which of those reprisals would come her way and, if she had children or were married, which of …

Electric Energy Access In European Law: A Human Right?, Luis A. Aviles

Luis A Aviles

This paper explores whether access to energy is or should be considered part of the human rights or fundamental rights intended to be protected in Europe after the enter into force of the Treaty of Lisbon.

The Private Sector’S Pivotal Role In Combating Human Trafficking, Jonathan Todres

Jonathan Todres

Human trafficking is big business, with industry estimates running in the billions of dollars annually. Much of that profit accrues to traffickers, illegal profiteers, and organized crime groups. However, the private sector-including legitimate businesses and industries-also reaps economic benefits, directly and indirectly, from the trafficking and related exploitation of persons. Despite these economic realities, the dominant approach to combating human trafficking has been to rely almost exclusively on governments and social services organizations to do the job. Little has been asked of the private sector. Two important bills-one adopted by the State of California and the otherintroduced in the U.S. …

Penny Wise But Pound Foolish In The Heartland: A Case Study Of Decriminalizing Domestic Violence In Topeka, Kansas, Shelley Santry

Shelley M. Santry

The Zionist Model As An Ironically Workable Diplomatic Strategy For Post-Mubarak Egypt, Benjamin L. Zeskind

Benjamin L Zeskind

The fundamental question for post-Mubarak Egypt, and central focus of this comment, is whether the 2011 revolution will retune Egypt as a transcending advocate of democratic principles for countries undergoing similar transformations; or lead Egypt down the theologically repressive path toward failed statehood. Within the context of this question, this article further examines the interplay between the shortcomings of international human rights law, former President Hosni Mubarak’s politically oppressive regime and the development of civic-minded communal groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood that give Egypt the best chance for sustainable self-governance. This article proposes that by applying the early 20th …

Promoting Social Change In Asia And The Pacific: The Need For A Disability Rights Tribunal To Give Life To The Un Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities, Michael L. Perlin

Michael L Perlin

ABSTRACT

There is no question that the existence of regional human rights courts and commissions has been an essential element in the enforcement of international human rights in those regions of the world where such tribunals exist. In the specific area of mental disability law, there is now a remarkably robust body of case law from the European Court on Human Rights, some significant and transformative decisions from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and at least one major case from the African Commission on Human Rights.

In Asia and the Pacific region, however, there is no such body. Although …

Region Codes And Human Rights, Molly Land

Molly K. Land

No abstract provided.

#Ict4hr—Information And Communication Technologies For Human Rights, Molly Land, Patrick Meier, Mark Belinsky, Emily Jacobi

Molly K. Land

No abstract provided.

Access To Health Information Under International Human Rights Law, Molly Land

Molly K. Land

This article discusses whether and, if so, to what extent states are obligated under international treaty law to provide individuals, lay healthcare providers, professional healthcare providers, and policymakers with appropriate health information. The article concludes that health information is an essential component of many identified and established human rights. States party to treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights must provide and guarantee access to health information. Appropriate health information fosters meaningful social and political participation and ensures that individuals achieve and enjoy the rights afforded to them by international human rights law. This article provides …

The Immigrant And Miranda, Anjana Malhotra

Anjana Malhotra

The recent dramatic convergence of immigration and criminal law is transforming the immigration and criminal justice system. While scholars have begun to examine some of the structural implications of this convergence, this article breaks new ground by examining judicial responses, and specifically the sharply divergent approaches that federal appellate courts have used to determine whether Miranda warnings must be given to immigrants during custodial interrogations about their immigration status that have both criminal and civil implications.

Judging Stories, Noah Novogrodsky

Noah B Novogrodsky

Judging Stories Abstract This Article uses the confluence of incitement to genocide and hate speech in a single case to explore the power of stories in law. That power defines how we see the world, how we form communities of meaning and how we speak to one another. Previous commentators have recognized that law is infused with stories, from the narratives of litigants, to the rhetoric of lawyers, to the tales that judges interpret and create in the form of written opinions. This Article builds on those insights to address the problems posed by transnational speech and the question of …