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.
Williams v. Spain
With Women’s Link Worldwide and SOS-Racismo Madrid, the Open Society Justice Initiative filed a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on behalf of Rosalind Williams regarding a case of racial profiling by a Spanish police officer.
Last update: August 12, 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, 2009Pham (previously B2) v. Home Secretary
The UK stripped Pham Minh Quang of his citizenship, claiming he was still a Vietnamese citizen and so not stateless. He appealed to the Supreme Court, but his appeal was rejected.
Last update: March 23, 2015Home Secretary v. Al-Jedda
The UK government stripped Al-Jedda of his citizenship, arguing he could re-apply for Iraqi citizenship and was not stateless. The UK Supreme Court found that indeed he was left stateless.
Last update: October 28, 2013Zhao v. Netherlands
In the UN Human Rights Committee's first ever decision on the right of children to acquire nationality, it determined that by registering a child as “nationality unknown”, Dutch authorities violated his right to international protection and to seek a nationality.
Last update: December 29, 2020