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, 2011Gomes Lund v. Brazil
The families of people who disappeared after challenging Brazil's military dictatorship are trying to expose the truth about what happened to their relatives, but have been prevented from doing so by amnesty laws.
Last update: December 01, 2010Omerovic 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, 2009Yean and Bosico v. Dominican Republic
This is a case brought by two Dominican girls of Haitian descent who were denied Dominican nationality in spite of the fact that both were born in the country, which should legally entitle them to citizenship.
Last update: July 01, 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, 2009Dutch Caribbean Consultative Body v. Data Protection Authority
This case challenges the Dutch government’s attempt to create a database of all youths of Antillean descent.
Last update: March 11, 2009