Digital Commons Network^™

When Law Watches Democracy Die: The Legal Farce Of Venezuela's 2024 Election And The Paralysis Of International Law Enforcement And Unity, Madeline Covington

International Law Journal

The 2024 Venezuelan presidential election illustrates how authoritarian regimes can undermine democracy while preserving the appearance of constitutional governance. This Article examines the historical and legal developments that culminated in the contested election, analyzes violations of Venezuela's domestic electoral framework and international legal obligations, and evaluates the international response, including sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and multilateral action. It argues that Venezuela exposes a fundamental weakness in international law: although global institutions strongly endorse democratic governance, they lack effective enforcement mechanisms to respond to electoral authoritarianism. The Article concludes by proposing institutional reforms to strengthen international accountability and protect democratic integrity.

Universal Jurisdiction And The Principle Of Subsidiarity, Michael P. Scharf, Elise Manchester, Pilar Sofia Corso

International Law Journal

In an effort to render universal jurisdiction more palatable, in recent years States have applied the so-called subsidiarity principle. Under this principle, States exercising universal jurisdiction defer prosecution of international crimes to a State which has a stronger connection to the case, normally the State where the crimes were committed or the State of nationality of the accused, provided one of those States is able and willing to pursue the case. Through a study of the statutes and caselaw of States applying universal jurisdiction, this Article seeks to discern whether subsidiarity is merely a non-binding political concept, an emerging (or …

Perpetual Statehood Among Rising Tides: The Case Of Tuvalu And The Future Of Statehood, Sovereignty, And Maritime Bounds In The Face Of Unprecedented Climate Crisis, Caroline Crawford

International Law Journal

As climate change threatens the physical existence of low-lying island nations, the question of whether a country can retain statehood without territory becomes increasingly urgent. Tuvalu, facing potential submersion by 2050, has amended its constitution to declare perpetual statehood, challenging traditional international legal definitions that link sovereignty to physical territory. This Article examines the legal implications of Tuvalu’s declaration and explores whether current frameworks, including the Montevideo Convention, selfgovernance, the presumption of continuity, the Lotus principle, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”), can accommodate such a claim. It advocates for legal innovations such as …

Defining Life: A Conversation, K. Kofman, C. Adami, F. Baluška, J. Bongard, D. Brash, P. Calvo, G. Dodig-Crnkovic, P. Das, C. Fields, T. Froese, P. L. Gentili, G. Y. Georgiev, Scott F. Gilbert, T. N. W. Jackson, S. Kauffman, N. Lane, P. Marshall, D. Mcshea, W. Miller, S. Newman, A. Nunn, T. P. Pavlic, M. Picard, W. Ratcliff, A. Reber, J. Shapiro, A. Sloman, R. Solé, C. Sonnenschein, S. Stepney, R. Watson, O. Witkowski, M. Levin

Biology Faculty Works

Life is one of the most fascinating features of the physical world. Despite centuries of scientific study, experts still disagree about the definition, and even the possibility or utility of a definition, of this field. In a recent paper, we used AI to analyze the conceptual space formed by definitions of life given by a select set of modern workers in the life sciences and related fields. However, some of the most interesting material emerged as real-time conversations among those polled. In order to ensure that these ideas are not lost to the peer-reviewed scientific record, we here provide a …

Marketing System Quality And Consequences: A Theoretical Extension, Christopher Agyapong Siaw

Plymouth Business School

Summary Statement.Marketing System Quality Theory (MSQT) extends the evolution of marketing thought by challenging the assumption that marketing systems inherently create positive value. Building on service-dominant logic, MSQT emphasizes the governance role of quality assurance mechanisms in shaping value co-creation across interconnected actors. The theory explains how marketing systems generate value creation, capture, destruction, and unintended consequences, and proposes evaluating marketing performance by net societal contribution.

Grant Mandigora V. American Board Of Pediatrics

2026 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Risk, Trust, And Medical Decision-Making: Perinatal Care Among Patients And Providers In South Florida, Isabella Viera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how structural inequality shapes the experience of perinatal care among pregnant individuals and healthcare providers in South Florida, with particular attention to how risk is perceived and communicated, how trust between patients and providers is built or eroded, and how medical decision-making unfolds under conditions of structural vulnerability. Drawing on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork conducted between October 2025 and April 2026, supplemented by a quantitative analysis of low-birth-weight rates across all 67 Florida counties, the project analyzes how risk is defined, communicated, and lived across community-based prenatal organizations, online educational platforms, and in-depth provider and patient interviews. The …

قانون رقم ٦٦٤: وسيط الجمهورية, Poej

Proche-Orient, Études juridiques

No abstract provided.

اختصاص المجلس الأعلى في محاكمة رئيس الوزراء والوزراء في التشريعين اللبناني والفرنسي, دريد بشراوي

Proche-Orient, Études juridiques

No abstract provided.

Perbuatan Melawan Hukum Penanggung Akibat Pembatalan Sepihak Perjanjian Asuransi Jiwa: Studi Putusan-Putusan Pengadilan, Chelsea Putri Kezia Aruan, Togi Marolop Pradana Pangaribuan

Lex Patrimonium

Life insurance contracts are reciprocal agreements based on the principle of utmost good faith, binding insurers and insured parties to perform their contractual obligations. In practice, insurers often unilaterally cancel life insurance policies, particularly at the claim stage, causing legal uncertainty and financial loss to policyholders or beneficiaries. This study aims to examine whether unilateral cancellation of life insurance contracts by insurers constitutes an unlawful act under Indonesian civil law and to analyze judicial considerations in resolving such disputes. This research employs a normative juridical method using statutory, conceptual, and case approaches through the analysis of legislation, legal doctrines, and …

Studi Kasus Penetapan Nomor 234/Pdt.P/2025/Pn Ptk Mengenai Pengakuan Anak Oleh Ibu Setelah Ayah Dari Anak Meninggal Dunia, Rahma Qyrana Suherto, Endah Hartati

Lex Patrimonium

The legal status of children born out of wedlock constitutes a significant issue in Indonesian family law. In Indonesia, the recognition of children is regulated through various statutory provisions, including the Civil Code, the Marriage Law, and regulations in the field of population administration, which collectively govern the requirements, procedures, and legal consequences of the recognition of children born out of wedlock. The legal issues examined in this study focus on two main aspects: first, whether the prevailing laws and regulations in Indonesia concerning the recognition of children have adequately accommodated the best interests of the child; and second, whether …

Analisis Perbuatan Melawan Hukum Oleh Direksi Dalam Pengelolaan Keuangan Perseroan Berdasarkan Prinsip Business Judgment Rule (Studi Putusan No. 915 K/Pdt/2017)*, Reynaldi Aditama Rizki

Lex Patrimonium

The Board of Directors, as a corporate organ, holds full authority and responsibility for

the management and administration of the company’s business activities, including the

management of corporate finances; therefore, every policy decision taken may give rise

to legal consequences if it causes losses to the company or other parties. Corporate law

recognizes the Business Judgment Rule as a form of legal protection for Directors with

respect to business decisions made in good faith, with due care, and based on adequate

information; however, this principle is not absolute and cannot be invoked to justify

unlawful conduct. This research aims to …

Penguasaan Tanpa Dasar Hak Atas Bangunan Milik Orang Lain Sebagai Bentuk Perbuatan Melawan Hukum (Studi Putusan Mahkamah Agung Nomor 651 K/Pdt/2020), Helena Ginting, Abdul Salam

Lex Patrimonium

Disputes over the possession of buildings often originate from preliminary sale and purchase agreements that fail to result in a lawful transfer of rights. Legal issues arise when a down payment sale agreement is declared null and void due to the buyer’s failure to fulfill payment obligations, while physical possession of the seller’s property is continuously maintained without a valid legal basis. This article aims to analyze the legal standing of down payment sale agreements in relation to the transfer of rights over land and buildings, the status of possession following the nullification of the agreement, and the legal qualification …

Perbuatan Melawan Hukum Dan Hilangnya Hak Kepemilikan Atas Tanah:Studi Putusan No.712/Pdt.G/2022/Pn.Tng, Muhammad Haikal Keitaro Akuan

Lex Patrimonium

This paper provides an explanation and analysis related to the concept of unlawful acts in civil law as found in Article 1365 of the Civil Code, and existing doctrines and jurisprudence, especially related to the application carried out by the judge in decision number 712/Pdt.G/2022/PN/Tng. This paper was compiled using a doctrinal research method. In the concept of unlawful acts in civil law which is based on Article 1365 of the Civil Code. In practice, especially in decision number 712/Pdt.G/2022/PN/Tng, it turns out that the judge applies the elements of the unlawful act implicitly. In unlawful acts there is also …

The Final Payroll: Human Resources, Meet Machine Resources, Sarah Yee

Student Journal of Information Privacy Law

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in employment practices, particularly in hiring and screening, the need for robust regulatory frameworks is urgent. This Article focuses on the growing use of AI in workplace decision-making, highlighting the risks of algorithmic bias and discrimination. It argues that while the United States lacks a unified legal approach to governing AI in employment, the European Union (EU) has taken a more proactive and comprehensive stance. Through instruments like the proposed EU AI Act and existing data protection laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU imposes meaningful obligations on employers …

The Structural Problem With Real-Time Crime Centers, Holly Merclich

Student Journal of Information Privacy Law

Since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the government has become fixated with public safety, oftentimes at the expense of individual privacy. The surveillance state expanded after this in the early 2000s, and the country’s first Real Time Crime Centers were born. Real Time Crime Centers are hubs where different technologies and information are fused and aggregated into one easy to use space. Data outputs from automated license plate readers, closed circuit television, and various law enforcement databases are aggregated into one single pane of glass view to achieve higher rates of case closures and increase the efficiency of …

Blurred Lines: How Mandatory Arbitration Clauses In Termsof Service Agreements Undermine Privacy Law Frameworks, Owen Curnin

Student Journal of Information Privacy Law

Following the birth of the Federal Arbitration Act–which made arbitration agreements valid, enforceable, and irrevocable in courts of law–mandatory arbitration clause use in commercial, consumer, and employment contracts exploded. These types of clauses require parties to submit all disputes arising out of or related to a contract to an impartial third party. This third party, known as the arbitrator, reviews the facts, listens to the parties’ arguments, and makes a final, binding decision resolving the dispute. Corporations have long relied on mandatory arbitration clauses to resolve disputes privately and confidentially, often hoping to avoid the public scrutiny and accountability associated …

A Framework For The Use Of Facial Recognition Technology In Policing: Is Your Face Equivalent To Your Ip Address?, Amirah Farooq

Student Journal of Information Privacy Law

This paper argues that police use of facial recognition technology constitutes a “search” within the meaning of section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and therefore requires prior judicial authorization. Part A provides the background for this argument and begins with a case study of Clearview AI to establish the regulatory gap in Canadian AI legislation. Part B develops this argument by relying on the rules of evidence, the Charter, and analogies drawn from current case law. Part C addresses counterarguments. Part D concludes with a summary of the proposed framework and emphasizes the importance of a …

Foreword, Caroline Aiello

Student Journal of Information Privacy Law

Foreword

Resiliency Planning And The Reorganization Of Legal Authority In Rural Maine, Nicholas F. Jacobs, Skylar Thielbar

Maine Law Review

Resiliency has become a dominant and largely unchallenged organizing principle of contemporary state-local governance in Maine, particularly as it affects rural towns and communities dependent on extractive industries. This Article argues that resiliency planning is not merely a policy orientation, but a distinct form of legal authority, which operates through an administrative structure that is closed off to normal channels of political accountability and judicial review. Focusing on Maine, the Article shows how statewide resiliency planning reallocates authority across state and local institutions, shaping fiscal access and territorial development without triggering the doctrinal safeguards of public law. Rural governance, where …

Betschart V. Oregon: A Seven-Day Standard For Maine, Henry Gates

Maine Law Review

Maine lacks a clear standard for ensuring the right to counsel for indigent defendants. The State’s public defense system is struggling to meet Maine’s constitutional mandate: To provide indigent defense services in rural areas and across the state. An aging bar with few new attorneys working in rural areas—where there are often higher relative prosecution rates and a corresponding increased need for legal services—is contributing to the problem. This has resulted in a legal system that negatively impacts rural communities and indigent defendants to the point that one court concluded the state is violating the Sixth Amendment. Following the Ninth …

One Year's Seeding: Looking Back On The Last Seven Years Of Maine's Progress Toward Rural Justice, Christopher Northrop, Seth Main

Maine Law Review

Nationally, the crisis in access to legal services in rural areas continues to grow despite significant attention and efforts to reverse this troubling trend. This Article explores Maine’s efforts to address our legal deserts. The Article’s starting point is a retrospective look at our 2019 national symposium on rural justice and accompanying Maine Law Review issue. We will try to measure successes and failures, while also addressing the significant impact caused by the intervening pandemic. The Article will then shift to an analysis of the current landscape, focusing on the role of the University of Maine School of Law. We …

Legal Deserts Over Time, Cory L. Dodds

Maine Law Review

Legal deserts—counties with exceptionally low attorney availability—shape housing stability, personal safety, health outcomes, and economic security in rural communities. Yet, national scholarship has not yet determined whether attorney scarcity is transient or durable and relies largely on cross-sectional snapshots and population-based headcounts benchmarked to the American Bar Association’s (ABA) threshold of one attorney per 1,000 residents. These measures can obscure temporal dynamics, overstate functional supply, and embed contested normative assumptions about adequacy. This Article offers a national, longitudinal, and definition-sensitive analysis of legal deserts using county-level data from the forty-eight contiguous states at three observation points. Attorney supply is measured …

The Other Right To Counsel: The Civil Guarantee In State Constitutions, Dmitry Bam

Maine Law Review

When most people speak of the right to counsel, they speak in the singular. After the Supreme Court’s seminal decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, the right to counsel in criminal prosecutions has become one of our most cherished fundamental rights. It is a right ingrained in our culture. Even children can recite the mantra that the accused have the right to a lawyer, and if they can’t afford a lawyer, one will be provided to them free of charge. It is no surprise, then, that our constitutional focus is trained on the criminal defendant’s right to counsel. After all, there …

Foreword, Adam Fortier-Brown

Maine Law Review

Access to legal services in America has emerged as one of the most pressing structural challenges facing the legal community. As attorneys increasingly concentrate in metropolitan areas, large areas are left with few practicing attorneys and challenging prospects of attracting many more. The consequences of this challenge reach across nearly every aspect of life in these communities—from housing and family stability, to starting or winding down businesses, and critically, to the constitutional guarantees that attach when someone is charged with a crime. Yet, these challenges have also generated a period of genuine creativity and collaboration between communities and different institutions. …

Rurality And Redistricting: California's Proposition 50, Rural Identity, And Democratic Legitimacy, Lisa R. Pruitt

Maine Law Review

When California voters embraced mid-decade congressional redistricting in 2025, the greatest media attention landed on the state’s First Congressional District, CA-01. It is residents of that district who are likely to feel the consequences of the new maps most profoundly. In the form established by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission in 2021, CA-01 occupied more than 26,000 square miles in the state’s northeastern corner. The district included a number of inland counties stretching from Modoc, tucked into the corner formed by the Oregon and Nevada state lines, to Colusa, in the Great Central Valley. The cluster of ten counties—hereinafter “old …

Shadow-Channel Verification For Multi-Body Model Fusion: An Independent-Recompute Witness For Detecting Silent Value-Faults In Interpolated Language-Model Inference, David Lee Wise, Avan Lee Wise

Defensive Publications Series

This publication describes a system and method for verifying the intermediate quantities used in multi-body language-model fusion by means of an independent recomputation channel — a "shadow channel" — that runs parallel to the primary fusion pipeline. In multi-body fusion, a primary model (e.g., a transformer language model) is combined with one or more auxiliary bodies (e.g., an n-gram count model and a nearest-neighbour/datastore retrieval model) by interpolating their per-position probabilities. Conventional fusion consumes each body's reported probability directly and is therefore blind to two failure classes: (a) crash-faults, in which an auxiliary quantity becomes non-finite (e.g., a softmax …

The Vanishing Customer: A Framework For Analyzing Benefit–Burden Decoupling In Attention-Economy And Ai-Companion Transactions, David Lee Wise, Avan Lee Wise

Defensive Publications Series

This publication describes an analytical framework for identifying and evaluating benefit–burden decoupling in digital-service transactions, with particular application to attention-economy platforms and conversational AI-companion systems. The framework treats two observed phenomena — the relocation of the paying party from customer to product (wherein a user's attention, data, or disclosure is monetized while the user is denied the status of a served customer), and the relocation of responsibility from maker to user (wherein a provider retains the financial benefit of a design or deployment decision while attempting, via terms-of-service disclaimers and "sole-risk" framing, to shed the decision's downstream burdens) — as …

System For Identifying Geospatial Features Using Language Model-Guided Segmentation, Mira Leung

Defensive Publications Series

Geospatial information systems can face challenges from incomplete data, such as missing locations for building entrances, and difficulties processing complex natural language queries. A system can dynamically identify geospatial features using a multi-stage process. For example, a large language model can interpret a user's natural language query and an associated image to identify a relevant point of interest. Subsequently, a specialized machine learning segmentation model can analyze a localized region of the image to delineate a specific feature, such as an entrance. This approach can facilitate the on-demand generation of geospatial feature coordinates in response to semantic requests, which can …

United States V. Alfonso: The Eleventh Circuit's Choice To Follow The Tide Of Other Circuits In Deciding What Constitutes The High Seas, Jaidin Winsor

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

In United States v. Alfonso, three appellants challenged the constitutionality of the assertion of subject matter jurisdiction by the United States over a vessel involved in illicit drug smuggling activity within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Dominican Republic. On appeal the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rejected this challenge. The decision made by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals followed the approach taken explicitly by the Fourth Circuit and indirectly by the First and Second Circuits. This decision affirmed the expansive reach of United States territorial jurisdiction and is likely to encourage other cCircuits …