by Eric Surber
Judicature International (2024) | An online-only publication
The 2023 year-end report by U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts featured as the cover image a view of the Sandra Day O’Connor United States Courthouse in Phoenix, Arizona. As seen in the report and the image above, the courthouse’s primary focal point is a soaring glass atrium. āThis building should give the visitor the impression of openness, of access to justice, of a tranquil space in which to resolve the sometimes very difficult issues in our courts,ā Justice OāConnor said of the building in an informational guide produced by the General Services Administrationās Design Excellence Program.
Three magistrates of Guatemalaās Supreme Electoral Tribunal left the country early on Dec. 1, 2023, hours after the Congress opened them up to prosecution by stripping them of their immunity from prosecution. (The Associated Press, 12/1/2023)Ā Keep readingĀ»
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled on Dec. 15, 2023, that Guatemala had violated the rights of the Indigenous Qāeqchiā people, whose land was used for the construction of a nickel mine. (The Associated Press, 12/18/2023) Keep readingĀ»
Israelās Supreme Court on Jan. 1, 2024, struck down a law limiting its own powers, a momentous step in the legal and political crisis that gripped the country before the war with Hamas and pitted the court against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuās right-wing government. Separately, on Jan. 3 the court ruled to delay the enactment of a new law that makes it harder to remove a prime minister from office. (The New York Times, 1/1/2024) Keep readingĀ»
Alexandra Salazar, a lawyer in Nicaragua, was forced into exile in October 2021 due to her first-hand knowledge of the horrific treatment of women prisoners. Advocates and activists like Salazar are decrying the rise of authoritarianism and its effect to limit womenās rights around the world. (American Bar Association, 12/1/2023)Ā Keep readingĀ»
Surinameās top court on Dec. 20, 2023, upheld a 20-year prison sentence for former President Desi Bouterse following his 2019 conviction in connection with the killings of 15 political opponents in 1982. (The Associated Press, 12/20/2023)Ā Keep readingĀ»
A group of North Carolina residents have asked for certification in their proposed class action alleging the state’s new digital court system has led to hundreds of wrongful arrests and detentions. (Law360, 12/19/2023) Keep readingĀ»
The Chief Justice of the United States issued his year-end report for 2023, in which he traced the evolution of court technology from the bygone days of quill pens to todayās most advanced artificial intelligence. (US Courts, 12/31/2023) Keep readingĀ»
Venezuelans on Dec. 3, 2023, approved a referendum called by the government of President NicolĆ”s Maduro to claim sovereignty over an oil- and mineral-rich area of neighboring Guyana. The referendum also approved ending the International Court of Justiceās jurisdiction over settling disputes in the region. (The Associated Press, 12/2/2023) Keep readingĀ»
The presidents of Venezuela and Guyana met on Dec. 14 and agreed not to use force or threats against each other amid the dispute over the region. (France24, 12/5/2023) Keep readingĀ»
