In The News

Texas Execution Plan Defies Hague Order

Suzanne Goldenberg August 5, 2008
The International Court of Justice, as the principal legal body of the United Nations, is expected to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by member states. But the state of Texas in the US insists the court does not have jurisdiction over the case of José Medellín, charged with the 1993 brutal rape and murder of two teenagers and since convicted and...

Radicalization of a National Dialogue

Steven A. Cook July 25, 2008
The new millennium ushered in a period of stability for Turkey, and many observers expected the naton to join the European Union. But now the country is in political turmoil, as the Turkish Constitutional Court considers a ban of the ruling party, the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, to which the president and prime minister both belong. “The old establishment is seeking to regain its...

Report Urges Overhaul of the War Powers Law

John M. Broder July 14, 2008
In 1973, toward the end of the Vietnam War, US Congress passed the War Powers Resolution, setting out guidelines for presidents in committing American troops to international conflicts. A yearlong study by a bipartisan group was led by Warren Christopher and James A. Baker III, both former secretaries of state. They conclude that the 1973 law is “ineffective at best and unconstitutional at worst...

Chinese Seek a Day in Court

Geoffrey A. Fowler July 11, 2008
The practice of law in China has been somewhat problematic, especially when legal goals interfered with politics. Until recently, the police listened to conversations between lawyers and clients, and lawyers could be jailed for pursuing cases with political ramifications. But with the help of television, the internet and handbooks, average citizens in China are learning about their potential...

Tiny Voices Defy Child Marriage in Yemen

Robert F. Worth July 2, 2008
Poverty, combined with families producing more children than they can afford, can end childhood for girls as young as eight years of age. “Pulled out of school and forced to have children before their bodies are ready, many rural Yemeni women end up illiterate and with serious health problems,” writes Robert F. Worth for the New York Times. “Their babies are often stunted, too.” Some Islamic...

The EU in an Irish Bog

Roger Cohen June 19, 2008
Winston Churchill once observed that the problems with democracy could be understood after talking five minutes with the average voter. Expressing frustrations en masse, voters are impatient, often lashing out at politicians or policies that would serve the long-term interests of society. Such an example is Irish voters’ rejection of renegotiation of the Lisbon Treaty, which would smooth...

Iraq Deal With US to End Immunity for Foreign Contractors

Patrick Cockburn June 18, 2008
With a new security agreement being negotiated between the US and Iraq, the two countries tussle over control. Some Iraqi analysts criticize the overall agreement as a signal that the US plans long-term occupation of the country. But others note that a new policy, no longer extending immunity to foreign contract workers who break Iraqi law, signals that the Iraqi government could be taking more...