Comparative and Foreign Law Commons^™

Bride-Burning: The "Elephant In The Room" Is Out Of Control , Avnita Lakhani

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article is an attempt to answer the question of why the practice of bride-burning continues and propose alternative ways to not only look at the problem, but also to define workable solutions. It is only via a thorough conflict analysis of this complex issue that the world might rein in a problem that is clearly out of control in this day and age. Section II examines the origins of bride-burning, its continued practice, and societal ramifications. Section III analyzes some of the current and proposed efforts in place for banning bride-burning and punishing those who illegally engage in this …

Who Killed The Friendly Settlement? The Decline Of Negotiated Resolutions At The European Court Of Human Rights , Gregory S. Weber

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The "Friendly Settlement"--the negotiated settlement of cases at the European Court of Human Rights--is on the decline. The Friendly Settlement's decline will likely provoke mixed sentiments in the international human rights camp. Some may applaud the development, including those who believe that only judgments by the Court are likely to chastise member states sufficiently and to announce standards of conduct for other states to follow. But others may shed more than a few mournful tears. An active settlement program can help reduce the Court's huge case backlog and give complaining parties a faster, and often more generous, measure of resolution …

Cyberbullying: What's The "Status" In England?, Krupa A. Patel

San Diego International Law Journal

This comment will explore the growing concern of cyberbullying and will highlight the need for the English Parliament to create its own national anti-cyberbullying legislation, or to incorporate this activity into existing laws as a preventative measure. Part II will define cyberbullying, highlight the various ways in which cyberbullying differs from traditional forms of bullying, and explore specific forms and mediums of cyberbullying to underscore the difficulty in regulating such actions through the law. It will also include illustrative examples of cyberbullying incidents. Part III explores the current laws that English prosecutors are attempting to use to penalize those who …

East Meets West: An International Dialogue On Mediation And Med-Arb In The United States And China, Thomas J. Stipanowich, Jung Yang, Jay Welsh, Chen Qiming, Peter Robinson, Tan Jinghui, Chen Guang, Jeff Kichaven, Denise Madigan, Wang Hongsong, Zhang Jianhua

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This Second Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC)/Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution International Videoconference, following up on last year's successful inaugural program, will provide different perspectives on the current BAC initiative and evolving attitudes toward mediation and med-arb. Topics include: (1) the development and current state of business mediation in the U.S.; (2) the challenges and opportunities confronting China in developing stand-alone business mediation; (3) reflections on the skills necessary for mediators; (4) common pitfalls in mediation; (5) perspectives on med-arb (as opposed to stand-alone mediation); and (6) how to most effectively use mediation in conjunction with arbitration procedures.

Paving The Road To A More Free World: Adr As Sustainable Development - A Look At Bangladesh , Amadea M. Goresh

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

In this paper, I will look at the sustainable impact that Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs are having in the third world by examining one such nation in particular, the country of Bangladesh. Due to its historical problems combating poverty and corruption, Bangladesh has uniquely devised alternative, extra judicial means of resolving conflict. I will begin by looking at the current state of affairs of the country's government and judicial systems. Next, I will examine the nation's distinctive dispute resolution mechanism, known as shalish, and then discuss the pivotal role non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are playing in adapting the traditional ADR …

Culture In International Parental Kidnapping Mediations, Melissa A. Kucinski

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Mediating an international parental kidnapping case involves much more than knowing some family law-it involves complex emotions, strict time constraints, multiple nations' laws and policies, intricate international treaties, juggling interpreters, attorneys, government officials, judges, and parents who may be physically located thousands of miles apart, and the blunt reality that you may have no understanding of either parent's cultural customs or the way each will communicate with the other parent or with you. While the "culture" part of the mediation may appear to be the least significant element, it could be key to the success of the mediation. Nonetheless, "culture" …

Negotiating And Mediating Peace In Africa , Nancy Erbe, Chinedu Bob Ezeh, Daniel Karanja, Neba Monifor, George Mubanga, Ndi Richard Tanto

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Last year, a law review solicited my thoughts about, in their words, pushing the envelope with social justice and negotiating peace in a world dominated by power and violence. Taking their language literally, one must ask how to effectively address contemporary obstacles to ensure that the message and, most importantly, the means of justice are truly delivered to those in need. One answer-which may seem obvious to readers but is actually much too rare in practice-is to work with, empower, and support the conflict work of the community members themselves. This article introduces the plans of five African professionals, demonstrating …

Outward Bound To Other Cultures: Seven Guidelines For U.S. Dispute Resolution Trainers, Harold Abramson

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

"Would you like to go to Delhi to train people in negotiations?" the email message inquires. "Are you kidding?" you think to yourself. "Of course, I would get to do in an exotic location what I enjoy doing at home – helping others to resolve conflicts. And I also would meet fascinating people and tour an intriguing city and country with a local host." "YES," you reply after working out the logistical details. Now as you begin to pack your off-the-shelf training materials, you start to wonder how you should adapt your training for this foreign location. You do not …

An Unnecessary Consternation: An Analysis Of The Future Of Eu Arbitration In The Wake Of The West Tankers Decision, Mark G. Materna

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article proposes that, despite the West Tankers decision, parties are still not free to breach the terms of an arbitration agreement. On the contrary, there has been a strong trend by English courts to find ways of preventing parties from breaching such agreements. In short, this article serves to quell the panic and elucidate that the West Tankers decision is not a nail in the coffin, but rather a mechanism to reiterate European courts' dedication to ensuring that arbitration provisions remain a potent force against economic infidelity. Part II of this article will provide a brief background of anti-suit …

Clouded Diamonds: Without Binding Arbitration And More Sophisticated Dispute Resolution Mechanisms, The Kimberley Process Will Ultimately Fail In Ending Conflicts Fueled By Blood Diamonds , Shannon K. Murphy

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

In 2003, under an initiative of the United Nations (U.N.), various nations of the world gave life to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS)-a method by which consumers of all levels could know the origin of their diamonds-with the Scheme only certifying those harvested from legal, government-run mines. The Scheme's drafters believed that, if given the choice, consumers would choose to buy diamonds mined legally, with profits flowing to legitimate sources of power. However, the KPCS as it stands is voluntary and lacks the teeth needed to deter its violators. The KPCS lacks a binding arbitration agreement and needs a …

Multi-Stakeholder Dispute Resolution: Building Social Capital Through Access To Justice At The Community Level , Shala Ali, Williams E. Davis, Joanna Lee

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Systems of multi-stakeholder dispute resolution are increasingly recognized as objectives of good governance by international organizations such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Such objectives arise out of insights based on the dynamics of social capital that community based initiatives cannot succeed where trust is absent and mechanisms for collective decision-making do not exist. Yet localized decision-making can take many forms-whether distributional, competitive, or collaborative. This paper will examine, in particular, the impact of collaborative systems of decision-making on building social capital through access to justice in local communities. It will do this through examining participant feedback, meeting minutes, …

The Reality Of Social Rights Enforcement, David Landau

Scholarly Publications

Despite the lack of socio-economic rights in the U.S. Constitution and the absence of political will to enforce them, the vast majority of constitutions around the world now include these rights, and courts are enforcing them in increasingly aggressive and creative ways. Scholars have produced a large and theoretically rich literature on the topic. Virtually all of this literature assumes that social rights enforcement is about the advancement of impoverished, marginalized groups. Moreover, the consensus recommendation of that literature, according to scholars like Cass Sunstein and Mark Tushnet, is that courts can enforce socio-economic rights hut should do so in …

Constructing The Other: U.S. Muslims, Anti-Sharia Law, And The Constitutional Consequences Of Volatile Intercultural Rhetoric, Carlo A. Pedrioli

Faculty Scholarship

Recently, legislators have proposed, discussed, and passed various laws that aimed to limit the use of foreign law, international law, and Sharia (a branch of Islamic law) in state court systems. Because it became law, one proposed state constitutional amendment that rhetorically linked Sharia to foreign and international law is of particular note. In the 2010 midterm elections, Oklahoma passed State Question 755 (SQ 755), a constitutional amendment that aimed to place restrictions on the use of foreign law, international law, and Sharia in Oklahoma courts. Laws like Oklahoma’s State Question 755 are problematic for a variety of reasons. One …

Unsex Mothering: Toward A New Culture Of Parenting, Darren Rosenblum

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

In this Article, I observe that “mothering” and “fathering” have been inappropriately tethered to biosex. “Mothering” should be unsexed as the primary parental relationship. “Fathering,” correspondingly, should be unsexed from its breadwinner status. In an ideal world, people now considered “mothers” and “fathers” would be “parents” first, a category that includes all forms of caretaking. One could even imagine an androgynous world in which parenting has no sexed subcategories, whether attached to biosex or not. I doubt our world is anywhere near that; I also wonder whether universal androgyny is a utopian ideal worth pursuing. I instead focus in this …

Open Connectivity, Open Data: Two Dimensions Of The Freedom To Seek, Receive And Impart Information In The New Zealand Bill Of Rights, Jonathon Penney

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Recently, ideas about "rights" to Internet access or connectivity have received growing recognition from governments, legal institutions, and other political actors in several countries, including New Zealand Despite this emerging political and legal recognition, there are few, if any, systematic studies exploring such ideas. This paper aims to change this. First, it offers a theoretical exploration of the idea of a "right" to Internet access, including the diferent versions of such rights talk. Secondly, it examines whether there is any legal basis for such rights claims in New Zealand and ultimately argues that section 14 of the New Zealand Bill …

Property On The Borderline: A Comparative Analysis Of The Legal Status Of Animals In Canada And The United States, Maneesha Deckha

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The article examines Canada's progressive stance on social issues but highlights that this progressiveness does not extend to animal rights, where Canada often lags behind the U.S. It explores legal developments challenging the traditional property status of animals, particularly in tort law and estate planning, while emphasizing that these changes are symbolic and limited to companion animals.

Tribal Rituals Of The Mdl: A Comment On Williams, Lee, And Borden, Repeat Players In Multidistrict Litigation, Myriam E. Gilles

Articles

No abstract provided.

Pereira's Attack On Legalizing Euthanasia Or Assisted Suicide: Smoke And Mirrors, Jocelyn Downie, Kenneth Chambaere, Jan L. Bernheim

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

In a paper published in Current Oncology, University of Ottawa palliative care physician Jose Pereira states that the, “laws and safeguards [in countries in which euthanasia or assisted suicide have been legalized] are regularly ignored and transgressed in all the jurisdictions, and that transgressions are not prosecuted.” He purports to demonstrate that the safeguards and controls put in place in the permissive jurisdictions are an “illusion.”

In the present paper, we expose problems with the evidence base provided and relied upon by Pereira. It should be noted that we provide only examples of each of the categories of mistakes made …

Systems Pluralism And Institutional Pluralism In Constitutional Law: National, Supranational, And Global Governance, Daniel Halberstam

Book Chapters

Constitutions are often seen as creating a closed and hierarchically organized system of law. Constitutional systems are taken as closed to claims of legality from outside the system and as setting forth a hierarchy of norms and institutions that governs within the system. This consolidation of authority, in turn, is predominantly associated with a radical political (re)founding of the state. Politics are framed by law and law is grounded in an act of collective politics on the part of an existing or aspiring community defined by shared histories, norms, processes, and politics.

Uprooted Justice: Transformations Of Law And Everyday Life In Northern Thailand, David M. Engel

Journal Articles

Studies of law in everyday life tend to view law either as instrumental in shaping specific decisions and practices or as constitutive of the cultural categories through which humans apprehend their world and perceive law as relevant to a greater or lesser extent. This article, however, suggests that circumstances may arise in which law’s role in relation to everyday life is neither instrumental nor constitutive but instead becomes one of radical dissociation. Based on an analysis of injuries in northern Thailand, it examines two transformational episodes in Thai legal and political history. The first occurred at the turn of the …

Economic And Social Rights: The Role Of Courts In China, Randall Peerenboom

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article considers what the role of the courts could and should be in implementing ESR in China. Part II surveys recent global developments giving greater bite to economic and social rights, as well as some of the main controversies, debates, and approaches to promoting, protecting, and fulfilling ESR, with particular attention to the role of the courts. Part III provides a general introduction to the social, legal, political, and economic context in China, and contrasts the situation in China with South Africa?one of the global leaders in judicial implementation of ESR. The overall environment in China is, if not …

The Evolving International Judiciary, Karen J. Alter

Faculty Working Papers

This article explains the rapid proliferation in international courts first in the post WWII and then the post Cold War era. It examines the larger international judicial complex, showing how developments in one region and domain affect developments in similar and distant regimes. Situating individual developments into their larger context, and showing how change occurs incrementally and slowly over time, allows one to see developments in economic, human rights and war crimes systems as part of a longer term evolutionary process of the creation of international judicial authority. Evolution is not the same as teleology; we see that some international …

Constituent Authority, Richard Kay

Faculty Articles and Papers

The force of a constitution, like the force of all enacted law, derives, in significant part, from the circumstances of its enactment. Legal and political theory have long recognized the logical necessity of a “constituent power.” That recognition, however, tells us little about what is necessary for the successful enactment of an enduring constitution. Long term acceptance of a constitution requires a continuing regard for the process that brought it into being. There must be, that is, recognition of the “constituent authority” of the constitution-makers. This paper is a consideration of the idea of “constituent authority” drawing on a comparison …

Misinterpreted Justice: Problems With The Use Of Islamic Legal Experts In U.S. Trial Courts, Peter W. Beauchamp

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.

Using Gender Equality Analysis To Improve The Wellbeing Of Prostitutes, Barbara Havelkova

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article presents a framework for analyzing prostitution through the lens of gender equality, aiming to improve the wellbeing of prostitutes by offering regulators and judges a tool for evaluation. It challenges the asymmetric legal treatment of prostitutes and clients, arguing that such treatment violates gender equality principles. The framework proposes symmetric treatment or measures benefiting prostitutes to address structural inequalities rooted in gender, class, race, and socioeconomic status. The analysis draws on European and common law jurisdictions, emphasizing the need for gender-conscious policies to ensure fairness and proportionality.

A Case Study In Tanzania: Police Round-Ups And Detention Of Street Children As A Substitute For Care And Protection, Sheryl L. Buske

South Carolina Journal of International Law and Business

No abstract provided.

The Advance Democracy Act And The Future Of United States Democracy Promotion Efforts, Patrick J. Glen

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This article addresses whether and to what extent the Obama administration should continue the Bush administration policies relating to democracy promotion. The focus of the article is on the ADVANCE Act of 2007, a legislative enactment that institutionalized democracy promotion in the State Department. After explicating the key provisions of this Act, as well as their implementation status, the article addresses key critiques leveled at democracy promotion, as well as areas where the Obama administration can expand on what has been accomplished thus far in this field. In the end, democracy promotion should continue to be an integral component of …

Governance Of Health Research Involving Humans In Developing Countries: The Nigerian Example, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe

PhD Dissertations

An intense debate has occurred regarding research involving humans in developing countries in recent years. Research in this area has focused mainly on examining the ways in which the economic inequalities in healthcare between developing countries and developed countries have affected the types of research conducted in developing countries by external sponsors. Research has also focused on how these inequalities, and the difficulties in applying the international ethical guidelines, give rise to ethical concerns and controversies. Recent literature has therefore examined several ethical concerns in health research in developing countries. What is missing in the literature on research oversight in …

Physical-Strength Rationales For De Jure Exclusion Of Women From Military Combat Positions, Maia Goodell

Seattle University Law Review

Women have been serving in the military in steadily increasing numbers for decades. Nevertheless, the military remains one of the few areas in which the U.S. government decides what roles are open to women based on de jure exclusions. This Article examines the law governing de jure classification, noting that a mere normative belief about women’s proper place in society is an insufficient basis to justify a sex-based exclusion. It then probes the most common rationale advanced in support of the continued de jure exclusion of women: physical strength. The Article examines four problems with the physical strength rationale: (1) …

Transitioning To Free Speech: A Case Study On Legal Transfers In Jordanian Jurisprudence, Sarah Joy Gregory

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.