In association with the International Commission of Jurists

June 2008

09 Jun

I am grateful for the opportunity to read and comment on Peter Danchin’s “Suspect Symbols: Value Pluralism as a Theory of Religious Freedom in International Law.” The tolerance that it advocates reflects a generally healthy human rights impulse. Hence, I wish that I could write a positive response to the article into which a great deal of thought...

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09 Jun

Consider the following statutory provision: In public schools, students are prohibited from wearing symbols or attire through which they conspicuously exhibit a religious affiliation. Such a law, now familiar in the wake of the recent affaire du foulard in France, appears prima facie to violate the most basic tenets of the right to freedom of religion and belief in international law. Article...

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09 Jun

The Yale Journal of International Law is pleased to inaugurate its partnership with Opinio Juris in this first online symposium. This week’s symposium will feature three articles recently published in Vol. 33-1 of YJIL, available here. Our discussion today will focus on the controversies that have arisen over attempts by states to regulate their citizens' wearing and display of religious symbols....

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09 Jun

Kevin has no doubt put his finger on the key issues facing the ICC and Sudan. Plainly, the ICC is raising the stakes in its investigation of Sudan, a risky proposition given certain fragile peace accords emerging. More interesting to me is that the ICC last week revealed that it tried to capture wanted Sudan minister Ahmed Harun...

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07 Jun

The ICL community is abuzz with news that the ICC Prosecutor appears ready to issue new indictments that connect the "whole state apparatus" in Sudan to the crimes against humanity committed in Darfur. Here's Mark Leon Goldberg:This is a big deal. On the one hand, indicting top government officials could seriously disrupt current diplomatic efforts to coax and cajole...

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06 Jun

There is nothing wrong with spending a few days in SoCal in January! CALL FOR PAPERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN LAW SCHOOLS SECTION ON INTERNATIONAL LAW San Diego, California January 9, 2009 PROGRAM TOPIC: Taking International Law Seriously: Will the United States Abide by International Law that is a Law of Rules? PROGRAM SUMMARY: For the world at large, the rule of law is a law of rules....

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05 Jun

Mexico is returning to the ICJ to seek an interpretation of the Avena judgment. Here is an excerpt from the press release: Today Mexico filed a Request for interpretation of the Judgment delivered on 31 March 2004 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case concerning Avena and Other Mexican Nationals (Mexico v. United States of America). Mexico...

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05 Jun

Dr. Antoine Buyse of the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM), Utrecht University, has started a new blog on the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Posts are on topics as diverse as the use of separate opinions by the European Court of Human Rights, a review of a case on whether envrionment-friendly wind turbines are a nuisance (thus...

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05 Jun

Ever wonder how green you are? A new non-profit organization has just launched an initiative that helps you find out. It's sort of like calorie-counting for the environment. Creative Citizen helps you track your "greenage" based on five criteria: water, electricity, waste, emissions, and money. Greenage is determined by the creative solutions that you’ve implemented...

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03 Jun

Last month, I noted that the ICTR Prosecutor had "disowned" Human Rights Watch for daring to criticize his request to refer Yusuf Munyakazi to Rwanda for trial. I guess he'll now have to disown Trial Chamber III, as well, because on Monday it agreed with HRW and rejected the referral:Chances of genocide suspect and former Rwandan Interhamwe militia leader...

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03 Jun

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that MP Jason Wood is requesting an investigation into genetically modified orgasms. I support the member for McMillan's call for the government to conduct an independent broad-ranging scientific investigation into the genetic modification of food and biotechnology to assess not only the health of the crops and the food, but also the potential for contamination,...

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