A Global Judicial News Report: August 2025
Judicature International (2025) | An online-only publication
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In the News
International Courts 🌐 –
ICJ Delivers Unanimous Landmark Climate Change Advisory Opinion
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a unanimous advisory opinion concluding that states have binding legal duties — under both treaty and customary international law — to limit greenhouse gas emissions, prevent significant environmental harm, and protect the right to a clean, healthy, sustainable environment as a human right. The court emphasized that states’ failure to act could constitute an internationally wrongful act, potentially triggering obligations for cessation, guarantees of non-repetition, reparations, and compensation. Though non-binding, the ruling carries significant legal, political, and moral weight and is expected to influence global climate litigation and policymaking. (ICJ Press Release, 07/23/25) Keep Reading »
United States 🇺🇸 –
United States Sanctions Four ICC Judges and Prosecutors
The Trump administration imposed sanctions on four officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) — two judges, Kimberly Prost (Canada) and Nicolas Guillou (France), and two deputy prosecutors, Nazhat Shameem Khan (Fiji) and Mame Mandiaye Niang (Senegal). The measures freeze any U.S. assets they hold and bar their entry into the country, reportedly in retaliation for ICC investigations into alleged war crimes by U.S. and Israeli individuals. The ICC condemned the sanctions as a “flagrant attack” on judicial independence, while the United Nations, France, and civil society groups decried the move as undermining international justice and accountability. (The Guardian, 08/20/2025) Keep Reading »
Ecuador 🇪🇨 –
Ecuador’s President Leads March Against Constitutional Court Over Suspended Security Measures
President Daniel Noboa organized and led a protest march in Quito after the Constitutional Court provisionally suspended several provisions of newly passed security laws — a move he defended as necessary to combat gangs. Critics, however, argue the demonstration was an attempt to undermine judicial independence and pressure the judiciary. The protest featured large billboards bearing judges’ names and faces with accusatory slogans, which the court condemned as compromising both the safety and impartiality of its justices. UN human rights officials and Ecuador’s National Justice Court urged respect for judicial autonomy and resolution of disputes through due process. (Reuters, 08/12/2025) Keep Reading »
Indigenous Groups File Suit Against Protected Areas Law in Ecuador
A coalition of Indigenous nations — including the A’i Cofán, Siekopai, Siona, Waorani, and Kichwa communities — alongside human rights organizations, sued to challenge the “Organic Law for the Strengthening of Protected Areas” (LOFAP). Passed in mid-July without consultation, LOFAP allows state and private control over ancestral territories, raising concerns over territorial rights, militarization, and systemic regression of Indigenous and environmental protections under Ecuador’s Constitution and international norms. (Amazon Frontlines Press Release, 7/2025) Keep Reading »
Hong Kong 🇭🇰 –
Closing Arguments Begin in Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai National Security Trial
Closing arguments have begun in the high-profile national security case against media tycoon Jimmy Lai, founder of the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper. Prosecutors accused Lai of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law (NSL), while the defense argued his actions constituted protected speech and journalism. The trial has become a litmus test for judicial independence in Hong Kong following the NSL, with a verdict expected later this year. (BBC, 08/18/2025) Keep Reading »
Pakistan 🇵🇰 –
Pakistan Finance Minister Meets Chief Justice on Rule of Law Coordination
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb met with Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi in Islamabad to discuss coordinated efforts between the judiciary and executive to uphold the rule of law. The Chief Justice outlined ongoing initiatives to improve access to justice, modernize court systems, categorize tax-related cases, and expand technology-driven reforms, including an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism and judicial training programs. Both parties underscored the importance of institutional cooperation in safeguarding citizens’ rights and upholding the rule of law. (MSN, 8/13/2025) Keep Reading »
The August 2025 Global Judicial News Report was written and compiled by Michelle Kaminsky, senior editor and writer at the Bolch Judicial Institute of Duke Law School and managing editor of Judicature.