In The News

Reuters: US, Britain, France, Others Skip Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty Talks

Michelle Nichols March 28, 2017
About 40 countries are declining to join UN talks for a nuclear weapons ban treaty and remain committed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, in force since 1970. A French ambassador argued that global security conditions are not right for such a ban, and the US ambassador to the UN questioned if anyone believed that rogue nations like North Korea would agree to such a ban. “The Trump administration...

Reuters: EU Headscarf Ban Ruling Sparks Faith Group Backlash

Alastair Macdonald March 14, 2017
Companies have great control over the appearance of their employees, and the EU’s Court of Justice has ruled that employers can ban religious and political symbols if “in pursuit of legitimate business interests” and if “a broad dress code for all customer-facing staff” is applied “to project an image of political and religious neutrality,” reports Alastair Macdonald for Reuters. The court...

Chatham House: China and the WTO

Wim Muller March 10, 2017
By joining the World Trade Organization in 2001, China agreed to dispute settlement processes and compulsory adjudication. “While in other areas, most notoriously the law of the sea, China has been reluctant to accept the decision-making power of international courts and tribunals, its WTO practice has shown that China can accept the jurisdiction of an international judicial body, accept its...

Independent: European Parliament Votes to End Visa-Free Travel for Americans

Jon Sharman March 6, 2017
The European Union expects consistent treatment by other nations for citizens of its member states. The European Parliament voted to end visa-free travel for Americans within the EU, after the United States “failed to agree to visa-free travel for citizens of five EU countries – Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania – as part of a reciprocity agreement.” The United States, Australia,...

The Guardian: Teacher, Children’s Author and Citizen Stopped at US Border

February 28, 2017
The Trump administration promised extreme vetting to prevent terrorism. A first step was an attempt to ban travelers from seven Muslim nations, quickly blocked by courts. Still, travelers describe intrusive questions, delays and rude behavior from border agents, the Guardian reports. A British Muslim schoolteacher, traveling to New York for a school trip was in his words, “treated like a criminal...

The Heights: How Globalization Changes Law

Katherine Murphy February 20, 2017
The rule of law gradually evolves to regulate emerging challenges and organize international relationships. “Globalization has led nation-states to interact in new ways, and other influential groups, such as multinational corporations and activist groups, to operate on an international level,” writes Katherine Murphy for the Heights. “These new types of interactions need standards of law to...

BBC News: Is the US Facing a Constitutional Crisis?

February 8, 2017
After a US judge has blocked a US executive order banning travelers from seven predominately Muslim countries as well as all refugees, President Donald Trump criticized the judge for putting the naton in “peril” and questioned his authority. “The separation of powers is crucial to understanding how the US is governed,” explains BBC News. “The country's constitution established its treasured...