Across the world, COVID-19 has unleashed a tidal wave of state power. What can we do to ensure that the great pandemic of 2020 is not remembered for an unravelling of democratic values, a disintegration of the rule of law; an irreversible erosion of hard-won rights and freedoms? … Read more →
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Human Rights Opinion From Every Corner of the World
Second reading of the Immigration Bill is delayed by coronavirus: time to reassess what constitutes a key worker?
The second reading of the government’s flagship Immigration and Social Security Coordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill was scheduled for 21 April 2020. However, facing opposition from all sides of the political spectrum the Government struck the proposed “virtual” second reading off the order paper. Critics had suggested the government might take advantage of the unprecedented circumstances and to try to push through the contentious bill with minimal scrutiny. The Government however … Read more →
Anti-LGBTQ groups in the US are on the rise and they’re targeting trans rights
Anti-LGBTQ+ hate is on the rise in the United States, with a 43% increase in the number of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic groups, compared to previous years. American civil rights organisation, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has issued its annual report analysing the different hate groups operating in the US. The report refers to 2019 and sheds light on a significant increase in the number of organisations opposing LGBTQ rights. … Read more →
The neuroscience of crime: will a new brain study enhance the rights of young offenders?
Crime may be more tied to biology than we realised. This is the contentious finding of a major Lancet Psychiatry study, published last month. Researchers identified a difference in brain structure among individuals who had engaged in a lifetime of criminal behaviour. A study with such far-reaching implications raises many questions. How can we determine its accuracy and separate cause from correlation? Additionally, how might these findings impact the human … Read more →
International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Fifteen years on landmines still pose a threat to lives
Today marks the fifteenth International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. The day was initiated by the UN in 2005 with the goal of limiting states’ landmine capacities, particularly in countries where remnants of mines or live mines used in ongoing conflicts cause a serious threat to the safety and lives of civilians. Despite the widely commemorated day, and the UN convention that preceded it, landmines still … Read more →
COVID-19: a crisis that could heighten crime?
COVID-19 has spread at an exponential rate, with over 700,000 confirmed cases across the world. As a result, governments have enacted unprecedented measures in order to limit its spread and increase healthcare to deal with the outbreak. The focus has been on protecting the economy and people’s livelihoods, but the COVID-19 outbreak … Read more →