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The Promise and Pitfalls of Strategic Litigation and Critical Lawyering
Former constitutional court judge Dr. Susanne Baer addressed participants of 2023 Strategic Human Rights Litigation Summer School, organized by the Justice Initiative and Hertie School’s Executive Education.
Pernell v. Lamb
Florida House Bill (HB) 7, designed to censor discussions related to race and gender in the educational setting, will impede State-mandated training of law enforcement officers in human diversity and implicit biases, argue a coalition of law enforcement groups in an amicus brief filed before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
LEAP and Open Society Justice Initiative: Florida Classroom Censorship Law (“Stop W.O.K.E.” Act) Impairs Training for Law Enforcement
In a court filing, the U.S.-based nonprofit Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), joined by experts and policing and criminal justice organizations, argues that Florida's “Stop W.O.K.E.” Act (HB7) would prevent law enforcement agencies from preparing officers for the realities of serving diverse communities.
Trial of Austrian Agents for Harboring Alleged Syrian War Criminal to Shed Light on Victims’ Suffering, say Human Rights Groups
The Center for Enforcement of Human Rights International (CEHRI) and the Justice Initiative welcome the start of a trial against officials from Austria’s civilian security-intelligence agency accused of executing a plan to conceal a former senior Syrian official suspected of crimes against humanity in Austria.
Justice Initiative Welcomes ICC Arrest Warrant for Putin
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now, the international community should do everything in its power to execute it, says the Open Society Justice Initiative.
2023 Global Human Rights Litigation Report
This report summarizes cases filed by the Open Society Justice Initiative in 2022 to defend and strengthen human rights around the world, as well as cases that remain pending as of December 2022.
U.S. District Court Blocks Seizure of $3.5B of Afghan Assets in New Ruling
The District Court for the Southern District of New York has ruled that $3.5B in Afghan central bank assets should be preserved for the sole benefit of the Afghan people, rather than seized to satisfy court judgments obtained against the Taliban.
How an Outdated Law in the Bahamas Protects Corporations from Environmental Lawsuits—and What Can Be Done About It
A climate justice movement is growing in the Bahamas and they're turning to the courts. But outdated laws that could force plaintiffs to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring forward a case might prevent them from ever being heard.
Immunities and a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine
This briefing paper provides a non-exhaustive overview of the application of immunities to prosecutions for the crime of aggression, particularly to the Russian head of state, head of government, and minister of foreign affairs, before a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
Human Rights Groups Call on Belgium to Open Investigation into Saudi Crown Prince for Crimes against Humanity
The Open Society Justice Initiative welcomes the support of DAWN, MENA Rights Group, and the Freedom Initiative for a criminal complaint it filed in Belgium against Saudi Arabia for crimes against humanity.
Ramy and Céline Shaath v. Arab Republic of Egypt
This case was filed before the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights on behalf of Ramy Shaath, an Egyptian-Palestinian national and a prominent human rights defender who was an active participant in the 2011 Egyptian revolution, and his wife, Celine Lebrun-Shaath.
Egypt Must Answer for Unlawful Detention of Ramy Shaath, Say NGOs behind New Complaint
On behalf of activist and former political prisoner Ramy Shaath and his wife Céline Lebrun-Shaath, four human rights groups have filed a complaint against Egypt before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Justice Initiative Urges Poland to Stop Death Penalty Against Guantánamo Prisoner
The Justice Initiative welcomes a resolution urging Poland to seek diplomatic assurances from the U.S. that a Guantánamo prisoner will not face the death penalty after a trial using evidence obtained through torture.
Security for Costs Orders in the Bahamas as a Barrier to Access to Justice in Public Interest Litigation
This briefing paper provides an overview of the international and regional framework relevant to the consideration of applications for security for costs in environmental and other public interest judicial review challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean.
ECtHR Decision Fails to Hold Italy Accountable for Obligations toward Stateless Persons
The Open Society Justice Initiative condemns a decision from the European Court of Human Rights to declare the application in Dabetić v Italy inadmissible—criticizing it as a missed opportunity for the court to affirm its own case law on protections for stateless persons under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Responsible Development for Abaco (RDA) Ltd. v. the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie et al.
This appeal before the Privy Council challenges the Bahamian court of appeal’s approach to security for costs, an order it routinely makes in public interest environmental cases that prevent impacted communities from accessing the courts.
Discrimination Case Challenging Danish “Ghetto Package” Eviction Plan Referred to Court of Justice of the European Union
Denmark’s Eastern High Court has referred a case against the Danish government to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to consider whether the EU’s legal protection against racial discrimination applies to measures taken under Denmark’s “Ghetto Package” laws.
Achbita v. Belgium
This complaint filed against Belgium with the UN Human Rights Committee, pertaining to a receptionist who was dismissed for intending to wear a headscarf in the workplace, argues that religious dress restrictions are discriminatory against Muslim women.
Religious Dress Restrictions Are Unlawful, Not “Neutral,” Argues the Justice Initiative
The Justice Initiative, together with co-counsel, the Human Rights Centre at Ghent University, have filed a complaint against Belgium with the UN Human Rights Committee, arguing that religious dress restrictions are discriminatory against Muslim women.
Vidberg v. France
Prosecutors’ refusals to open criminal proceedings constitute obstacles to access to justice for victims. The Justice Initiative submitted an amicus brief in this case emphasizing the importance of prosecutorial accountability to guarantee the rule of law.