A Global Judicial News Report: February 2025

Cover Photo: White House, Washington, D.C., United States (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Since taking office on January 20, 2025, President Trump has signed over 70 executive orders—the most in a president’s first 100 days in more than four decades. With many of these orders now facing legal challenges, the courts’ role as an independent check on executive authority has become a focal point of national discussion. To provide additional context, Duke Law interviewed Marin K. Levy, the academic director of the Bolch Judicial Institute which publishes Judicature International, about the judiciary’s critical function as a check on executive authority.

“Not infrequently, we see a court reviewing the actions of an administrative agency — a part of the executive branch,” Levy said. “But as part of this power, courts can and do assess actions taken directly by the president, most often in executive orders. Judicial review of these orders serves to keep presidential power in check.”

In the News

United States 🇺🇸

Top allies of President Donald Trump are criticizing federal judges online after several of the administration’s new policies were blocked in court. Legal experts emphasize that federal judges, who have life tenure and are difficult to remove, are unlikely to be swayed by political rhetoric or threats. Recently, however, tensions have increased. At least one federal judge has indicated that the Trump administration was not complying with an explicit court ruling and stressed that if non-compliance continues, he would not hesitate to hold administration officials in contempt. (Bloomberg Law, 02/10/25) Keep Reading »

The American Bar Association (ABA) has issued a statement expressing their view that the Trump administration has crossed a line by threatening the removal of judges if they do not rule in the government’s favor. The ABA characterized the current state of affairs as a “risk to our profession,” “unacceptable,” and “contrary to our constitutional system.” (The Hill, 02/11/25) Keep Reading »

Hungary 🇭🇺

Amid concerns over threats to judicial independence in Hungary, thousands of judges, court staff, and supporters marched to the ministry of justice in Budapest. Discontent began to emerge in November when an agreement was signed between the government and judicial representative bodies that tied salary raises to broad-based reforms. Demonstrators argue that the representative bodies were unduly pressured into signing the agreement without the opportunity to properly consult its members. In response, the prime minister’s chief of staff said that judges’ average salary will rise by 50% within the next two years while the salaries of court employees will be raised between 80-100%. (Reuters, 02/22/25) Keep Reading »

International Criminal Court 🌐

Due to mistakes and inaccuracies in the arrest warrant, Italy released a Libyan military officer wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. The release sparked outrage among opposition parties and has the ICC questioning whether their statutes were violated. The court has been investigating allegations of serious crimes in Libya since 2011. (Reuters, 02/10/25) Keep Reading »

South Africa has joined the newly formed “Hague Group,” comprising nine countries, to initiate legal action against Israel, alleging illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. This initiative follows the International Criminal Court’s issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli officials and the International Court of Justice’s order for Israel to evacuate all Palestinian territories. The Hague Group aims to implement measures to end the Israeli occupation and support Palestinian self-determination. (The Jerusalem Post, 01/31/25) Keep Reading »

Israel 🇮🇱

The Israeli committee tasked with reviewing the nation’s laws has proposed a bill to increase the government’s power over the appointment of the state watchdog over the judiciary. The watchdog is responsible for hearing all complaints against judges with statutory power and can initiate disciplinary proceedings against them. Current law provides that the watchdog is appointed on a joint proposal by the justice minister and the High Court Chief Justice. Opponents have argued that the bill will politicize the watchdog’s role who may use their powers to sanction judges based on political affiliations. (The Jerusalem Post, 02/24/25) Keep Reading »

Germany 🇩🇪

Earlier this month, a German court granted a motion sought by a civil activist group compelling X to share real-time data concerning the 23 February German election. In response, X filed a motion seeking to remove one of the three judges overseeing the matter, whom it argued “had positively engaged” with social media content posted by the plaintiff. X’s motion was granted, and the judge was removed. Separately, X has announced plans to sue the German government over what it characterizes as excessive data requests. (Reuters, 02/21/25) Keep Reading »

Australia 🇦🇺

The New South Wales Legal Services Commission has been asked to investigate a lawyer’s use of ChatGPT in submissions filed with a federal court. The lawyer, who has practiced for over three decades, admitted that time constraints led him to rely on the application’s summary of cases without verifying their existence. (Lawyers Weekly, 02/04/25) Keep Reading »

Kenya 🇰🇪

Kenya’s first female chief justice, Martha Koome, refutes a petition seeking her removal over alleged incompetence. The petition claims that her decision to ban a prominent lawyer from appearing before the Supreme Court reflects a serious lapse in judicial foresight. In response, Chief Justice Koome has emphasized that her position is constitutionally protected and that there was no valid reason to call for her removal. (MSN, 02/24/25) Keep Reading »

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Opponents of Britain’s assisted dying bill have characterized recent changes to the legislative scheme as “chaotic.” The core sponsor of the Bill, Kim Leadbeater, has announced that she will bring forward amendments that would replace High Court oversight of assisted dying with a panel of expert psychiatrists and social workers. Ten members of Leadbeater’s own party have expressed concern over the removal of judicial oversight. Additionally, they argue that the evidence presented has been “one-sided,” with minimal input from experts on domestic abuse and coercive control. (The Guardian, 02/11/25) Keep Reading »

Turkey 🇹🇷

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Turkey violated the rights of 120 judges and prosecutors to access the courts. Following the 2016 attempted coup, the Turkish government dismissed all sitting judges — except for a select group of officials — without conducting individual assessments or holding disciplinary proceedings. Those removed had no legal avenue to challenge their dismissals. Experts warn that the case highlights persistent concerns about judicial independence in Turkey, where courts are frequently accused of operating under political influence. (Turkish Minute, 02/11/25) Keep Reading »

The February 2025 Global Judicial News Report was compiled and written by Andrew Cunningham, an LLM candidate at Duke Law School and a Student Editor for Judicature International. He also serves as a judicial extern to Judge Jeffery Carpenter of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Prior to Duke, Andrew completed his LL.B. at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), where he graduated first in his class and was the recipient of the Henry Hamilton Hunter Memorial Prize.

Click Here to read last month’s news report.