Stories about Law from June, 2014
Serbian Insurance Company Refuses to Pay Damages to Roma Family
Serbian daily Blic reports on a curious case in which Serbian insurance company Takovo Osiguranje has, in writing, refused to pay damages to the widow and children of a car accident victim, based on his ethnicity. Blic journalists and an attorney representing the victim's family claim that the insurance company...
It's Official: Puerto Rico's First Openly Lesbian Judge Has Been Appointed to the Supreme Court
While some deny that her sexual orientation is relevant, others insist that it plays a fundamental role in what she can bring to the table.
Hong Kong Lawyers Protest in Black Against Chinese Government's White Paper
The protest is in response to the Chinaese government's recent white paper on the practice of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong.
‘Tajikistan's Detention of Alexander Sodiqov Cuts to the Core of What Research Scholars Do’
"The detention of Alexander Sodiqov cuts to the core of what research scholars do. They rigorously collect data, analyze them, and disseminate knowledge."
Trinidad & Tobago: Secrets of the CL Financial Bailout?
The public is being told that the CL Financial bailout is being resolved, while at the same time the Minister of Finance & the Economy is withholding the fundamental information which any prudent person would need to make a decision. Afra Raymond wonders what is being hidden.
What Would Buddha Do? Not Attack Sri Lankan Muslims, Buddhists Say
Hardline Buddhist organization Bodu Bala Sena's anti-Muslim rhetoric has fueled deadly riots in Sri Lanka. The group is vocal, but Buddhists are speaking out against them on and offline.
How a Protest to Reinstate a University Professor Relaunched Jamaica's Gay Rights Debate
Jamaica's moral compass is on overdrive ever since the dismissal of Professor Brendan Bain. The controversy continues to fuel the debate over gay rights in an infamously homophobic country.
‘A Shift From Surveillance Mode to Elimination Mode’ in China
The Chinese government under the leadership of Xi Jinping has been prosecuting citizen right lawyers, activists and dissidents in past months. Prominent Chinese human right lawyer Tien Biao pointed out that the previous “stability maintenance” model of political control has transformed into elimination of dissents.
Russian Bureaucracy’s Race to Police the Web
"...the most frightening truth may be that Russia’s law enforcement agencies don’t always wait for lawmakers to grant them formal authority when it comes to policing the Internet."
Twitter's Game of Cat and Mouse in Russia
A pattern is emerging in the relationship between the Kremlin and Twitter, where Moscow makes sweeping demands of the website and then touts the resulting compromise as a victory.
Australian Shock and Outrage at Egyptian Sentencing of Al Jazeera Journalists
Journalists have led the way on social media in expressing Australians' shock over the prison sentences for the Al Jazeera journalists in Egypt.
Iran's Internet Under Hassan Rouhani: Hope and Disillusionment as Narenji Bloggers Face Prison Sentence
What explains the recent moves to tighten controls within Iran’s cyberspace alongside Rouhani’s liberal Internet ethos? Mahsa Alimardani and Fred Petrossian explain in this exclusive #longread for GVA.
Russia Claims to Have Forced Twitter into Submission Ahead of Crowell's Moscow Visit
Ahead of a meeting between Twitter and Russia’s chief censorship outfit, Moscow is signaling that Internet giants like the world’s most popular microblogging service must conform to Russian sovereignty.
Russia Says the Internet Spreads Extremism
Russia’s Interior Ministry has drafted a ten-year strategy for countering violent extremism. The plan identifies the Internet as the main conduit for extremism and calls for new policing measures.
Russia's Failed e-Democracy?
Last year, the Kremlin launched an online portal where citizens can propose and vote on their own legislative ideas. The e-democracy experiment disappointed many, however.
Analysis: How Pakistani Politicians and Fake Accounts Drove Twitter Trends on Lahore's Rare Political Violence
Twitter users in Pakistan picked up on the unusual violence immediately, and three different hashtags specifically targeted the government.
Barbados: No Love in the Cemetery
As a mourner discovers exposed skeletal remains and discarded bits of coffins in a local cemetery, Barbados Free Press laments “the latest indignities to buried friends and relatives”.
Have a Corrupt Foreign Company in China? ‘You Should Leave Now’
As the Chinese government starts cracking down on corruption among foreign companies in China beginning with the pharmaceutical sector, China Law Blog advises: if you are worried about getting arrested in China for something that your company has done, you should leave. Now.
Bermuda to Get Public Access to Information Law
Premier Dunkley has announced that [the] Public Access to Information law will be operational by April, 2015. That’s 5 years after the law was passed, and 12 years after the topic was first introduced. Vexed Bermoothes thinks better late than never.
The Framing of Jamaica's “Gay Menace”
The dismissal of Professor Brendan Bain from his post as head of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network is still fueling the debate about gay rights in Jamaica.
Podcast: China's Leftover Women
Sinica Podcast invites Leta Hong Fincher, author of “Leftover Women“, a book about the state of women's rights and gender equality in modern China. The podcast discusses hidden problems and obstacles that Chinese women are facing in society including domestic violence and the “leftover women” issue. It's worth noting that...
