by Eric Surber
Judicature International (2024) | An online-only publication
Cover Photo: Peace Palace, International Court of Justice (Getty Images Signature)
The iconic “Peace Palace” located in The Hague (Netherlands) houses the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) and The Hague Academy of International Law. In February, Columbia Law Professor Sarah H. Cleveland became the sixth woman — and the second U.S. woman — to serve on the ICJ. In this interview, she answers five important questions about the Court’s function and role in resolving international disputes.
Azerbaijan 🇦🇿
Lawyers for Azerbaijan on April 15, 2024, urged the top United Nations court to throw out a case filed by Armenia linked to the long-running dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, arguing that judges do not have jurisdiction. Armenia filed the case at the International Court of Justice in 2021, accusing Azerbaijan of a “state-sponsored policy of Armenian hatred” that has led to “systemic discrimination, mass killings, torture and other abuse.” (Associated Press, 4/15/2024) Keep Reading »
India 🇮🇳
Artificial intelligence has been used in election campaigns in India, the world’s largest democracy, to create “hyperpersonalized” messages to voters. The use of A.I. in election campaigns raises ethical concerns as voters may have an increasingly difficult time distinguishing between real and synthetic messages. Friday, April 19, 2024, marked the start of a six-week election period where the nation’s 970 million voters will head to the polls. (NY Times, 4/18/2024) Keep Reading »
Israel 🇮🇱
The Israeli Supreme Court on Thursday, March 28, 2024, ordered the government to stop funding religious schools whose students defy the country’s mandatory military service, posing one of the most serious threats to date for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition. (CNN, 3/29/2024) Keep Reading »
Kiribati 🇰🇮
A Kiribati court has ruled on April 15, 2024, that a High Court judge in the Pacific Island nation who has been suspended by the president cannot be deported to Australia where he was born until parliament considers the findings of a tribunal examining a complaint against him. The attempted deportation two years ago of David Lambourne, a judge who is married to Kiribati’s opposition party leader, sparked a judicial crisis in the Pacific Island nation in a case closely watched by the United Nations and international legal groups. (Reuters, 4/15/2024) Keep Reading »
Mexico 🇲🇽
Mexico has appealed to the International Court of Justice to boot Ecuador from the United Nations, following a late night police raid on its embassy in Quito on April 9, 2024. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Mexico filed a complaint with the court on Thursday, calling Ecuador’s actions a violation of international law. (Al Jazeera, 4/11/2024) Keep Reading »
Slovakia 🇸🇰
In a letter to the Slovakian justice ministry in February 2024, Didier Reynders, the European Commissioner for Justice, described what might happen as a result of actual and proposed changes to the country’s criminal law. Reynders suggested that there was “a risk of irreparable harm […] to the financial interests of the [European] Union.” (International Bar Association Press Release, 4/14/2024) Keep Reading »
United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Three former Supreme Court justices have joined more than 600 members of the British legal profession in calling for the government to halt arms sales to Israel, saying it could make Britain complicit in genocide in Gaza. (Reuters, 4/4/2024) Keep Reading »
United States (North Carolina) 🇺🇸
District attorneys across the state of North Carolina urged state leaders on Thursday, April 4, 2024, to pause the rollout of the new online court record system eCourts because of ongoing issues they’re facing. During an oversight hearing, the district attorneys told lawmakers about how the system has slowed them down and led to errors. (CBS17, 4/4/2024) Keep Reading »
