Human Rights Law Commons^™

Police Impunity In Mexico: Creating Openings For Justice In A New Democracy, Emily Boyce

Honors Theses

In this project, I investigate why police impunity has persisted in Mexico, and why the application of justice, when it does occur, happens unequally. Mexico has undergone a democratic transition with a specific focus on increasing accountability in the judiciary. These persistent trends of police impunity and unequal application of justice are especially puzzling in the face of these recent shifts. Existing literature argues that the institutional changes that occur as a result of democratization should yield changes that further the individual rights of citizens. A majority of the scholarly work regarding police impunity and justice in Mexico focuses on …

Book Review, Douglass Cassel

Journal Articles

Reviewing Federico Fabbrini, Fundamental Rights in Europe: Challenges and Transformations in Comparative Perspective (2014)

Fabbrini’s study sheds valuable light on the dynamics that shape the interactions among multiple levels of human rights protection in Europe, and on the consequences for rights protection that tend to ensue. Less successful is his outsized confidence in a comparative approach, especially as applied to political and juridical communities as distinct as the USA and Europe. While the imperfect comparisons yield useful insights, Fabbrini at times overstates their import.

International Legal Protections For Migrants And Refugees: A Response To Father Brennan, Mary Ellen O'Connell

Journal Articles

Father Brennan’s Essay, “Human Rights and the National Interest: The Case Study of Asylum, Migration, and National Border Protection,” is a complex legal and ethical analysis of refugee law. This Commentary focuses on one aspect of the international law relevant to the Essay, namely, state obligations to migrants. Father Brennan’s main argument that migrants and refugees may be turned back, so long as the action respects human rights law, is consistent with the human right to life. Justly stopping migrants and refugees requires states to stop them before they enter either international waters or the state’s territorial waters. Further, Father …

Backlash Against International Courts In West, East And Southern Africa: Causes And Consequences, Karen J. Alter, James T. Gathii, Laurence R. Helfer

Faculty Scholarship

This paper discusses three credible attempts by African governments to restrict the jurisdiction of three similarly-situated sub-regional courts in response to politically controversial rulings. In West Africa, when the ECOWAS Court upheld allegations of torture by opposition journalists in the Gambia, that country’s political leaders sought to restrict the Court’s power to review human rights complaints. The other member states ultimately defeated the Gambia’s proposal. In East Africa, Kenya failed in its efforts to eliminate the EACJ and to remove some of its judges after a decision challenging an election to a sub-regional legislature. However, the member states agreed to …

Feminism And International Law In The Post 9/11 Era, Jayne C. Huckerby

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Anatomy Of The Human Rights Framework For Intellectual Property, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

Since the U.N. Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights adopted Resolution 2000/7 on "Intellectual Property Rights and Human Rights" more than fifteen years ago, a growing volume of literature has been devoted to the debates on the human rights limits to intellectual property rights, intellectual property and human rights, and intellectual property as human rights. Commentators, myself included, have also called for the development of a human rights framework for intellectual property. Thus far, very few commentators have explored the place of patent rights in this framework. Very little research, if any, has also been devoted to …

Armed Drones: An Age Old Problem Exacerbated By New Technology, Grant H. Frazier

Pomona Senior Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the history behind and the use of militarized drones in modern day conflicts, and to conclude whether the use of these machines, with special attention to the United States, is legal, ethical, and morally defensible. In achieving the aforementioned goals, shortcomings of current policy surrounding drone warfare will be highlighted, acting as the catalyst for a proposal for changes to be made to better suit legal, ethical, and moral considerations. The proposal of a policy to help us work with armed drones is due to the fact that this thesis acknowledges that …

Does International Human Rights Law In African Courts Make A Difference, Daniel Abebe

Faculty Scholarship

Is international human rights law effective in Africa? Extant studies assess effectiveness fry focusing on the potential of individual African regional and sub-regional courts to promote human rights and influence domestic actors. However, few if any studies actually evaluate the entire human rights jurisprudence of the five major African courts with jurisdiction to hear human rights claims. In this Article, I examine the entire human rights caseload of these courts from 1988 through 2015 along four important dimensions of effectiveness: (1) court structure; (2) volume of cases; (3) compliance rate; and (4) funding and independence. The Article finds that African …

Dignity Rights: A Response To Peggy Cooper Davis's Little Citizens And Their Families, Jane M. Spinak

Faculty Scholarship

Professor Spinak responds to Professor Davis’ comment by considering how the concept of human dignity can be used to reassert human rights – of individual members of the family and the family as an entity – that have been diminished, if not destroyed, by poverty and inequality.

The Quest For Constitutionalism: South Africa Since 1994, Penelope Andrews

Other Publications

No abstract provided.

Holding Canada Accountable: An Evaluation Of Canada's Compliance To The United Nations Declaration On The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples, Jackson A. Smith

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Compliance of human rights norms requires the application of pressure from a multitude of directions and levels. It takes individual advocacy, micro-system/organizational/community-level pressure, and macro-level pressure from other nation-states and international organizations and governance bodies. This MA study focuses on the mechanisms employed by the United Nations to monitor the compliance of signatory nation-states to the standards established in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), with particular focus on Canada. A crucial goal of this study is to translate the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNSRRIP), James Anaya’s, findings on the …

Justice Harlan's Enduring Importance For Current Civil Liberties Issues, From Marriage Equality To Dragnet Nsa Surveillance, Nadine Strossen

Articles & Chapters

No abstract provided.

Neurologists Look At Causes Of Baffling Brain Condition, Maggie Freleng

Capstones

It can be hard getting help for someone with mental illness, but almost impossible when that person doesn't think they are sick. At at least half of people with schizophrenia, for example, insist that the voices they hear are real. People who do not know they are ill often refuse therapy and medication -- and their symptoms can spiral out of control. Doctors call this lack of awareness anosognosia. Neurologists are trying to discover what causes this baffling condition--and how to treat it.

Forced Marriage At The Cambodian Crossroads: Eccc Can Develop A New Crime Against Humanity, Cameron Christensen

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Unaccompanied & Denied: Regional Legal Framework For Unaccompanied Minors Asylum Seekers (Umas), Rohaida Nordin, Jennifer Whelan, Saidatul Nadia Abd. Aziz, Meerah Deiwi Rajagopal

Indonesia Law Review

Unaccompanied minor asylum seekers are vulnerable and thus, provided special international law protections. However, in reality, they are being mistreated as illegal immigrants and on the receiving end of ethnic violence, discrimination, restrictions in enjoyment of their rights duly recognised by international human rights law. This article identifies legislative, policy and support mechanisms which encompass the minimum UMAS guardianship standards at international law and which are evidence-based from best practice models for the provision of guardians for UMAS internationally. It presents situation of UMAS in relation to human rights violations with emphasis on the legal framework and practices in Australia …

Criminal Procedures And Sanctions Against Seafarers After Large-Scale Ship-Source Oil Pollution Accidents : A Human Rights Perspective, Anete Logina

World Maritime University Dissertations

The international maritime community is highly concerned about the unfair application of criminal procedures and sanctions against seafarers, particularly after large-scale ship-source oil pollution accidents, because such unfairness may cause severe negative consequences for individual seafarers and the shipping sector in broader terms. A lot of work has already been done towards the elimination of the respective unfairness. Yet, the unfair practice continues. This dissertation attempts to give new ideas as to how to facilitate the fair application of criminal procedures and sanctions against seafarers after large-scale ship-source oil pollution accidents.

The dissertation starts with the clear definition and comprehensive …

Should Indonesia Accede To The 1951 Refugee Convention And Its 1967 Protocol?, Dita Liliansa, Anbar Jayadi

Indonesia Law Review

Being a non-party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (“1951 Refugee Convention”) and 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees (“1967 Protocol”), Indonesia does not have legal obligations to provide permanent resettlement for asylum seeker and/or refugee. However, as a transit country for those seeking shelter in Australia, Indonesia undergoes a myriad of issues resulting from illegal entrance by asylum seeker and/or refugee. Besides having neither legal framework nor domestic mechanism to handle asylum seekers and/or refugee, Indonesia’s immigration law identifies every foreigner including asylum seeker and refugee who unlawfully enter Indonesia’s territory into the …

Demonizing Muslims Only Benefits Is, Jennifer Moore

Faculty Scholarship

It is wrong to marginalize Muslims in part because such attitudes intensify the very dangers they purport to alleviate. Simply put, Islamophobia feeds ISIS-inspired terrorism.

The Role Of The State, Multinational Oil Companies, International Law & The International Community: Intersection Of Human Rights & Environmental Degradation Climate Change In The 21st Century Caused By Traditional Extractive Practices, The Amazon Rainforest, Indigenous People And Universal Jurisdiction To Resolve The Accountability Issue, Marcela Cabrera Luna

Master's Theses

Local, national and international conventions that protect indigenous sovereignty and their territories, where many of the resources are extracted from by multinational corporations (MNCs) particularly oil, the number one commodity of the world and cause of climate change, continue to be jeopardized because of the lack of a clear international legal framework that can protect them and potentially hold multinationals accountable for their actions. These practices are causing not only environmental issues to the indigenous and surrounding communities, but climate change is in fact, the real human rights issue of the 21^st century and it affects everyone. By using …

What Is Right With Africa: The Promise Of The Protocol On Women's Rights In Africa, Leslye Amede Obiora, Crystal Whalen

The Transnational Human Rights Review

No abstract provided.

Community Emergency Medicine: Benefits And Challenges Of Screening For Elder Abuse In The Emergency Department Of A Developing Country, Muhammad Akbar Baig, Asad Mian, Erfaan Hussain, Shahan Waheed

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

Human Rights States And Societies: A Reflection From Kenya, Willy Mutunga

The Transnational Human Rights Review

A human rights state is conceptualized as a liberal democratic state with a social democratic content, the modern day version of the capitalist welfare state. With the “collapses” of communism and neoliberalism, the paradigms of human rights and social justice have taken a center state. The birth of transformative constitutions and transformative constitutionalism linked to modern and comprehensive Bills of Rights have enriched the intellectual, ideological, and political debates of human rights and social justice paradigms. On one hand they have the ingredients of mitigating neo-liberalism while on the other hand they reflect some of the features of the paradigms …

Theorizing International Criminal Procedure Review Essay: Christoph Safferling's International Criminal Procedure, Sujith Xavier

The Transnational Human Rights Review

No abstract provided.

African Lessons For Post-2015 Global Right To Development Conceptualization And Practice, Obiora Chinedu Okafor

The Transnational Human Rights Review

No abstract provided.

Reinforcing The Identity Of The African Children's Rights Committee: A Case For Limiting The Lust For Judicial Powers In Quasi -Judicial Human Rights Mechanisms, Solomon T. Ebobrah

The Transnational Human Rights Review

Established as a quasi-judicial treaty supervisory body rather than an international court, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child struggles for relevance in the African human rights system where most non-state stakeholders arguably prefer organs with clear judicial powers. Thus, similar to the experiences of its older counterparts, the Committee appears to be under subtle pressure to substitute or at least reinforce its quasi-judicial character with more judicial powers and action. In essence, the Committee suffers from the uncertainty that prevails in international law regarding the definition of the term quasi-judicial; and the unclear …

Indigenous Rights Before The Inter-American Court Of Human Rights : A Call For A Pro Individual Interpretation, Valerio De Oliveira Mazzuoli, Dilton Ribeiro

The Transnational Human Rights Review

In its traditional conception, international law regulates relations between sovereign states. This definition is challenged by current developments of international law, especially in the area of human rights. The human person is arguably a bearer of rights and duties under international law. However, recognizing this individual legal personality is not enough. International bodies and treaties need to acknowledge that individuals are subjects of international law within a pluralistic world. In other words, the law of nations must crystalize the idea that individuals are, with all their cultural differences, subjects of international law. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights recognizes this …

The Relationship Between Human Rights And Judicial Globalization, Klodian Rado

The Transnational Human Rights Review

There are numerous academic writings about the actors, factors, and mechanisms that shape and drive human rights at national, transnational, and international levels. However, the relationship between human rights and the process of judicial globalization remains underexplored in recent scholarship, and the purpose of this study is to explore such a relationship and its effects. First, we provide a brief theoretical background of both human rights and judicial globalization concepts, and then, we focus on the relationship between them. By investigating existing empirical data, we uncover how judicial globalization is effecting and shaping human rights through various mechanisms and their …

The Failure Of The Canadian Human Rights Regime To Provide Remedies For Indigenous Peoples: Enough Time Has Passed, Jeffery Gordon Hewitt

LLM Theses

In 2008, Canada amended the Canadian Human Rights Act to remove s.67, which in essence precluded Indigenous Peoples from bringing complaints as against Canada and Band governments. Since the amendment took effect in 2010, a multi-fold increase has occurred in the number of complaints filed with the Human Rights Commission of Canada from dozens to hundreds. The first such significant complaint to be heard by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal was filed by the First Nation Child and Family Caring Society along with the Assembly of First Nations (the Complaint). The Complaint alleges Canada's funding with respect to First Nation …

Can, Do, And Should Legal Entities Have Dignity?: The Case Of The State, Maxwell O. Chibundu

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

Threshold Liberty, Dawinder S. Sidhu

Cardozo Law Review

The Supreme Court's Thirteenth Amendment precedent is no longer sustainable. For starters, that precedent - which holds that the Amendment prohibits the "badges and incidents" of slavery, and that Congress has the power to "rationally" determine what constitutes a "badge or incident" of slavery - raises serious federalism and separation of powers concerns. To make matters worse, the Court itself has recently restricted the enforcement provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment (in City of Boerne v. Flores) and Fifteenth Amendment (in Shelby County v. Holder), rendering the generous bounds of the Thirteenth Amendment enforcement power an outlier among the …