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.
Adalah v. Israel
This case is about discrimination in Israel, where citizens who marry individuals from the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon are blocked from bringing their spouses into the country.
Last update: January 11, 2012Iseni v. Italian Ministry of the Interior
Roberto Iseni is in danger of criminal sanctions and expulsion because he failed to apply for a passport within a 12-month window following his 18th birthday, as dictated by Italian law.
Last update: December 20, 2011Jean-Claude Duvalier
Jean-Claude Duvalier’s 15-year rule in Haiti was characterized by widespread violations of human rights. This brief outlined the argument for prosecuting Duvalier for international crimes.
Last update: December 14, 2011Arrest 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, 2011Children of Nubian Descent in Kenya v. Kenya
The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child found that children of Kenya's Nubian minority face discrimination leading to statelessness, violating African human rights standards.
Last update: September 30, 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, 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, 2010Casas 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, 2009