Law Commons^™

A Proposal For Addressing Violations Of Indigenous Peoples' Environmental And Human-Rights In The Inter-American Human Rights System, Natalia Gove

Student Works

International concerns in the areas of human rights, health, and environment have expanded considerably in the past several decades. International environmental law primarily focuses on environmental damage, rather than its impact on human beings. The focus of environmental treaties is primarily on constraining environmentally deleterious behavior, rather than preventing injuries to people. Part I of this paper will discuss the significance of environmental protection for indigenous peoples. Part II will analyze the linkage between environmental and human rights, as well as the lack of a direct enforcement mechanism for redressing violations of environmental rights. It will also describe the existing …

Implementing Truth And Reconciliation: Comparative Lessons For The Republic Of Korea, Tara J. Melish

Buffalo Human Rights Law Review

This Article substantively introduces a special symposium issue on "Implementing Truth and Reconciliation: Comparative Lessons for Korea." Inspired by the Dec. 2010 release of the official report and recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Republic of Korea (TRCK), the special issue gathers comparative national and cross-national lessons from four nations -- South Korea, South Africa, Cambodia, and Peru -- on the factors that contribute to or hinder the effective implementation of truth commission recommendations and other efforts aimed at achieving national, community, and individual-level reconciliation. Such lessons are offered in the hope of assisting victim groups and other advocacy …

Cause For Action For Student-On-Student Sexual Harassment Under The Missouri Human Rights Act, A , Amanda N. Johnson

Missouri Law Review

This Note argues that a cause of action under the MHRA is problematic because it misapplies the law with respect to public schools, creating limitless liability against school districts. The cost of damages and legal fees could overwhelm many of Missouri’s school districts, taking taxpayer money from funding education and putting it in the pockets of attorneys and plaintiffs.

Regulating The Corporate Tap: Applying Global Administrative Law Principles To Achieve The Human Right To Water, Kristin L. Retherford

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Justice Across The Hemispheres: The Effect Of The Pinochet Arrest On Domestic Courts In Chile And Spain, Audrey A. Hansen

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study examines whether the 1998 arrest, by order of a Spanish judge, of former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet in London for crimes of genocide and terrorism impacted the attitude of Chilean and Spanish courts toward prosecuting their own country’s human rights violations. It argues that after 1998 Chile’s judiciary increased prosecutions against former regime officials, while the Spanish judiciary upheld Spain’s 1977 Amnesty Law and declined to participate in the national discourse on the country’s past human rights violations. This research includes a comparative case study of Chile and Spain, their recent histories, their judiciaries’ attitudes towards prosecution of …

Kiobel Case: Corporate Accountability For Human Rights Abuses, Lauren Carasik

Media Presence

No abstract provided.

The Ethics Of ‘Responsibility While Protecting’: Brazil, The Responsibility To Protect, And Guidelines For Humanitarian Intervention, James Pattison

Human Rights & Human Welfare

In the aftermath of the NATO intervention in Libya, the responsibility to protect (RtoP) doctrine has received considerable blowback. Various states, most notably some of the ‘BRICS’ states (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), claimed that NATO exceeded its mandate given to it by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1973 (by allegedly focusing on regime change rather than on the protection of civilians), was inappropriate in its target selection, violated the arms embargo by transferring arms to rebels, and generally caused too much harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.1 It was also suggested that the UK, US, and …

Life As We Know It: The Expansion Of The Right To Life Under The Jurisprudence Of The Inter-American Court Of Human Rights, Alexandra R. Harrington

Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review

No abstract provided.

March 10, 2013: The Executioner In Chief, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The Executioner in Chief“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

In Defense Of Humanity: Martha Walsh Uses The Law To Combat Genocide, Neha Sud

Colby Magazine

Martha Walsh ’90 works on genocide trials at The Hague.

Can And Should Human Rights Themes Impact Decision-Making In A Law School? Reflections From The U.S. Perspective, Nora V. Demleitner

Scholarly Articles

Human rights (HR) issues, which often reveal themselves from a comparative perspective, are not categorized as such in law schools though they lie beneath fundamental structural decisions. Institutional funding and access directly impact educational, social, economic – and racial -- equality. Curriculum development and coverage – in doctrinal courses and so-called "clinics"– require reflection upon the amount of resources expanded on the teaching of human rights, the connections made between human rights and related subject areas, the restriction of human rights discourse to specific courses. Student affairs regularly deal with human rights questions ranging from religious to disability accommodations. The …

Faith, Freedom, And Us Foreign Policy: Avoiding The Proverbial Clash Of Civilizations In East And Southeast Asia, Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the primary weakness of US foreign policy, particularly in Southeast Asia which is home to the largest Muslim community in the world, was that it was driven by concerns over archipelagic Southeast Asia as the “second front” in the “global war against terror.” Military warfare and coercive legislation and enforcement are grossly inadequate in winning the hearts and minds of a community. Religion-wise, Asia is not a tabula rosa. Many religions have long co-existed in Asia. The virtues of religious freedom are not alien to Asia but need nurturing given the dominant imperatives of …

February 3, 2013: The Response To Obama’S Contraception Initiative, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The Response to Obama’s Contraception Initiative“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

January 24, 2013: What Was President Obama’S Speech About?, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “What Was President Obama’s Speech About?“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

January 17, 2013: I Agree With Some Of The Words Of Pastor Louie Giglio, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “I Agree With Some of the Words of Pastor Louie Giglio“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Public Law And Social Human Rights, Areto A. Imoukuede

Faculty Books and Book Contributions

This paper argues that public education is an international human right that the U.S. ought to recognize and protect. Recognizing a right to public education would correct a major inconsistency in U.S. law by bringing education rights doctrine more in line with international human rights law. This piece discusses how current U.S. education rights doctrine is inconsistent with U.S. tradition and legal precedent. It then demonstrates how international law recognizes public education as a fundamental duty of government before arguing for why the U.S. is obligated to follow international law regarding the right to public education.

Intellectual Property And Public Health – A White Paper, Ryan G. Vacca, James Ming Chen, Jay Dratler Jr., Thomas Folsom, Timothy S. Hall, Yaniv Heled, Frank A. Pasquale, Elizabeth A. Reilly, Jeffery Samuels, Katherine J. Strandburg, Kara W. Swanson, Andrew W. Torrance, Katharine A. Van Tassel

Faculty Scholarship

On October 26, 2012, the University of Akron School of Law’s Center for Intellectual Property and Technology hosted its Sixth Annual IP Scholars Forum. In attendance were thirteen legal scholars with expertise and an interest in IP and public health who met to discuss problems and potential solutions at the intersection of these fields. This report summarizes this discussion by describing the problems raised, areas of agreement and disagreement between the participants, suggestions and solutions made by participants and the subsequent evaluations of these suggestions and solutions. Led by the moderator, participants at the Forum focused generally on three broad …

Springtime For Freedom Of Religion Or Belief: Will Newly Democratic Arab States Guarantee International Human Rights Norms Or Perpetuate Their Violation?, Robert C. Blitt

Book Chapters

The Arab Spring has generated unprecedented and seismic political and social upheaval across the Arab world. The reasons for the outbreak of widespread and vociferous public protest are myriad, but generally understood as including long-simmering resentment of government corruption and repression, underwhelming economic development, chronic unemployment and poor respect for human rights, including the treatment of individuals and groups affiliated with political manifestations of Islam. Despite the initial drama surrounding the street rallies, two years on, the pace of change has grown fitful and uncertain.

The purpose of this chapter is to consider one narrow aspect of the Arab Spring. …

Intellectual Property And Public Health – A White Paper, Ryan G. Vacca, James Ming Chen, Jay Dratler Jr., Thomas Folsom, Timothy S. Hall, Yaniv Heled, Frank A. Pasquale Iii, Elizabeth A. Reilly, Jeffrey Samuels, Katherine J. Strandburg, Kara W. Swanson, Andrew W. Torrance, Katharine A. Van Tassel

Law Faculty Scholarship

On October 26, 2012, the University of Akron School of Law’s Center for Intellectual Property and Technology hosted its Sixth Annual IP Scholars Forum. In attendance were thirteen legal scholars with expertise and an interest in IP and public health who met to discuss problems and potential solutions at the intersection of these fields. This report summarizes this discussion by describing the problems raised, areas of agreement and disagreement between the participants, suggestions and solutions made by participants and the subsequent evaluations of these suggestions and solutions. Led by the moderator, participants at the Forum focused generally on three broad …

Indigenous Corporal Punishment In Ecuador And The Prohibition Of Torture And Ill Treatment, Oswaldo R. Ruiz-Chiriboga

American University International Law Review

No abstract provided.

Media Witness: Human Rights In An Age Of Digital Media, Daniel Joyce

Intercultural Human Rights Law Review

This article examines the impact of media witnesses in the field of human rights, looking especially at the rise of citizen media and the use of the Internet and social media by activists and international organizations. Despite the need to interrogate the technological determinism underlying many claims for digital media technologies, the development of 'citizen media' is a promising avenue for international law. New technologies can help actors connect with each other, engage new audiences, and potentially also assist with documentation, evidence gathering and compliance. But such possibilities bring dangers and difficulties which will not easily be resolved. This article …

Human Rights In China: Examining The Human Rights Values In Chinese Confucian Ethics And Roman Catholic Social Teachings, Mee-Yin Mary Yuen

Intercultural Human Rights Law Review

In this paper, I will first examine social values in Chinese Confucian ethics and investigate if these values seek to protect what could be termed basic rights and freedoms of people. Such an inquiry is essential given the background of the lack of freedom of expression and conscience in contemporary China. I shall focus on examining those ideas in Confucian ethics that may contribute to upholding such freedom. Secondly, as a Roman Catholic, I will borrow from the example of Catholic social teachings, another ethical tradition, to show briefly the gradual development and acceptance of human rights discourse within the …

Why The Right To Data Portability Likely Reduces Consumer Welfare: Antitrust And Privacy Critique, Peter Swire, Yianni Lagos

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Revolutionary Influence Of Low Enlightenment: Weakening Copyright In Developing Countries To Improve Respect For Human Rights And The Rule Of Law, Martin Skladany

Faculty Scholarly Works

Diverse groups have banded together to critique current intellectual property laws under the Access to Knowledge movement. The Geneva Declaration on the Future of the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Access to Knowledge Treaty, and the Adelphi Charter on Creativity, Innovation and Intellectual Property call for an end to further growth in intellectual property protection and demand that the World Intellectual Property Organization be more cognizant of the needs of developing countries in terms of expanding access to textbooks and other educational materials. However, the movement has yet to appreciate the value of significantly weakening copyright law in developing countries …

Freedom From Ignorance: The International Duty To Provide Public Education, Areto A. Imoukhuede

Faculty Scholarship

This paper argues that public education is an international human right that the U.S. ought to recognise and protect. Recognising a right to public education would correct a major inconsistency in U.S. law by bringing education rights docrtine more in line with international human rights law. This piece discusses how current U.S. education rights doctrine is inconsistent with U.S. tradition and legal precedent. It then demonstrates how international law recognises public education as a fundamental duty of government before arguing for why the U.S. is obligated to follow international law regarding the right to public education.

Gender Equality And Indigenous Peoples' Right To Self-Determination And Culture, Maria Noel Leoni Zardo

American University International Law Review

No abstract provided.

Globalization And Law: Law Beyond The State, Ralf Michaels

Faculty Scholarship

The chapter provides an introduction into law and globalization for sociolegal studies. Instead of treating globalization as an external factor that impacts the law, globalization and law are here viewed as intertwined. I suggest that three types of globalization should be distinguished—globalization as empirical phenomenon, globalization as theory, and globalization as ideology. I go on to discuss one central theme of globalization, namely in what way society, and therefore law, move beyond the state. This is done along the three classical elements of the state—territory, population/citizenship, and government. The role of all of these elements is shifting, suggesting we need …

Positive Obligations And Criminal Justice: Duties To Protect Or Coerce?, Liora Lazarus

All Faculty Publications

This chapter explores the relationship between criminal law, criminal process and human rights from a slightly different perspective. It demonstrates that while human rights may well be used to limit the excesses of security and law and order politics, the nature of the relationship between human rights and criminal justice cannot be captured alone by the view of rights as a limit on the coercive reach of the criminal law and criminal justice institutions. Increasingly, human rights, cast as positive rights, have resulted in claims for the extension of the criminal law, the creation of preventative duties or ‘protective policing …

Can Compulsory Health Insurance Be Justified? An Examination Of Taiwan's National Health Insurance , Chuan-Feng Wu

Journal of Law and Health

Since a great paradox lies beneath the universal health insurance mandate debate in both Taiwan and the U.S., Taiwan’s experience clarifying the constitutionality of its compulsory universal health insurance program might provide valuable lessons to the U.S. The goal of this Article is to provide a theoretical basis, based upon the human rights impact assessment in public health policies and a Rawlsian theory of justice, to decide whether the restriction on individual liberty imposed by Taiwan’s compulsory NHI is constitutionally justified. An analytic four-step assessment is established to evaluate the NHI’s burden on individual liberties: (1) examine the importance, legitimacy, …

The Dilemma Of Piratical Ransoms: Should They Be Paid Or Not: On The Human Rights Of Kidnapped Seamen And Their Families, Barry H. Dubner, Kimberly Chavers

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.