PICTURED ABOVE: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (Azeem Aslam, iStock by Getty Images)
Since the imprisonment of opposition leader Imran Khan, critics have argued that Pakistan has moved in an increasingly authoritarian direction. When Khan urged protests against the government’s official admission of vote manipulation, access to social media site X was blocked. Recently, the situation has escalated.
In October, the government approved constitutional changes permitting parliament to choose Pakistan’s chief justice. Opponents have argued that this change threatens the judiciary’s independence. Building on their efforts to weaken the judicial branch, parliament has proposed measures permitting the detention of individuals who have not committed crimes. Most significantly, and without proper debate, parliament extended the Army Chief’s prescribed tenure from 3 to 5 years. This amendment raises concerns about the balance of power between democratic means and military authority, with critics contending that the measure may lead to the sidelining of elected representatives.
— Andrew Cunningham, Student Editor
Mexico 🇲🇽
Mexico’s Supreme Court narrowly rejected proposals to limit a controversial judicial reform requiring judges to stand for election. The proposal sought to restrict elections to Supreme Court justices only, but the broader amendment, mandating elections for all judges, remains in effect. Eight Supreme Court justices have stated they will resign if the amendment is passed. (Reuters, 11/6/2024) Keep Reading »
United States 🇺🇸
A federal judicial panel has begun considering the development of rules to regulate the introduction of artificial intelligence-generated evidence in court. The initiative aims to guide judges in handling claims related to ‘deep fakes’ and ensuring the reliability and authenticity of artificially generated evidence. (Reuters, 11/8/2024) Keep Reading »
The judge overseeing the sentencing of President-elect Trump for his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records has postponed a decision on whether he is entitled to presidential immunity. This move is widely seen as a precursor to the cancellation of Trump’s sentencing, scheduled for November 26th. (Reuters, 11/12/2024) Keep Reading »
Pakistan 🇵🇰
Pakistan’s government has enacted sweeping measures to suppress criticism from supporters of imprisoned opposition leader Imran Khan. In October, the government curtailed the judiciary’s power and has since amended a law to permit the Army Chief’s tenure to be extended. Critics argue these actions have weakened the judiciary, the only institution capable of challenging the legitimacy of the current regime. (The Wall Street Journal, 11/7/2024) Keep Reading »
Israel 🇮🇱
Israel’s parliament has approved a measure allowing the government to deport the family members of individuals deemed to have “expressed support or identification” with terrorists or who failed to report information about terrorist organizations. Deported individuals would be sent to Gaza or other destinations for 7 to 20 years (Al Jazeera, 11/7/2024) Keep Reading »
Italy 🇮🇹
The Italian government’s agreement with Albania to outsource migrant processing while asylum applications are pending is set to be reviewed by the European Court of Justice. While Prime Minister Meloni has promoted the agreement as a model to manage surging illegal immigration, critics argue it threatens human rights. (AA, 11/11/2024) Keep Reading »
Kenya 🇰🇪
Chief Justice Martha Koome has faced allegations of failing to address corruption within the judiciary. She countered the accusations by stating, ‘nobody has ever approached me with a bribe,’ and argued that the criticism stems from misogyny rather than credible evidence. Koome emphasized the need to address gender bias as a more pressing issue within the justice system. (BBC, 11/11/2024) Keep Reading »
Kazakhstan 🇰🇿
Since 2021, 30 judges have been held accountable for corruption, resulting in 15 prison sentences. The Council of Europe have called the level of corruption “serious” and “pervasive.” (The Diplomat, 10/25/2024) Keep Reading »
The November 2024 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.
