Litigation
Justice Initiative lawyers have represented scores of individuals and groups before domestic and international human rights courts and tribunals around the world. These cases seek not only to vindicate individual claims, but to establish and strengthen the law’s protection for all.
Arrest Rights Challenge
In Poland, many accused don’t have access to a lawyer until the investigation into their case has been completed. This brief challenges the practice, which undermines the fundamental right to a fair trial.
Last update: December 01, 2011El Sharkawi v. Arab Republic of Egypt
Mohammed El Sharkawi was detained without trial under Egypt's Emergency Law for nearly 16 years, and tortured in custody. Since his release, there has been no acknowledgement that his detention violated human rights.
Last update: July 22, 2011Omerovic and Others v. Italy
In 2008 Italy introduced emergency legislation that applied only to Roma. The Omerovic family brought a legal action with nine other claimants to challenge this discriminatory treatment.
Last update: September 17, 2010Nubian Community in Kenya v. Kenya
Africa's human rights tribunal found that members of Kenya's Nubian community face arbitrary procedures that restrict their access to vital national identity documents.
Last update: May 17, 2010Vargas Telles v. City of San Lorenzo
The Open Society Justice Initiative has filed a brief urging Paraguay’s top court to recognize a right of general access to government information—the first case of its kind in the country.
Last update: February 25, 2010APDHE v. Equatorial Guinea
This complaint challenged a small clique of ruling families in Equatorial Guinea who reap huge profits through corruption and monopoly control of the national petro-carbon industry, while ordinary citizens live in poverty.
Last update: December 03, 2009Casas Chardon v. Ministry of Transportation
An anticorruption pressure group in Peru wanted access to the financial declarations of the Minister of Transport, but the authorities said the information was confidential.
Last update: September 28, 2009Fadia v. Diakonisches Werk Hamburg
This case is about a woman in Germany whose job application was rejected because she refused to convert to Christianity. She challenged the rejection as religious discrimination.
Last update: June 01, 2009