OHRH Blog
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Explore current events from a global human rights perspective, with in-depth op-eds, interviews and more. The Oxford Human Rights Hub aims to bring together academics, practitioners, and policy-makers from across the globe to advance the understanding and protection of human rights and equality.
OHRH Blog
2d ago
On 3 March 2024, Swiss voters decided in favour of a 13th Old-Age and Survivors’ Insurance (OASI) payment per year, but against gradually raising the statutory retirement age. For the first time in the system of the Swiss direct democracy, a popular initiative to expand the welfare state was adopted.
In the Swiss system of direct democracy, the Swiss Federal Constitution can be changed, among others, through popular initiatives. In Swiss terminology, this is distinguished from referenda, which concern decisions by the Swiss Federal Assembly, i.e. the Federal Parliament. In order to be put to v ..read more
OHRH Blog
2d ago
Am 3. März 2024 hat sich die Schweizer Stimmbevölkerung für eine dreizehnte jährliche Zahlung der Alters- und Hinterbliebenenversicherung (AHV), aber gegen eine schrittweise Erhöhung des gesetzlichen Rentenalters ausgesprochen. Zum ersten Mal im System der direkten Demokratie der Schweiz wurde eine Volksinitiative zur Ausweitung des Wohlfahrtsstaates angenommen.
Im Schweizer System der direkten Demokratie kann die Schweizer Bundesverfassung unter anderem durch Volksinitiativen geändert werden. In der Schweizer Terminologie müssen solche Initiativen von Referenden unterschieden werden; die Letz ..read more
OHRH Blog
2d ago
Le 3 mars 2024, les électeurs suisses se sont prononcés en faveur d’un treizième versement annuel de l’assurance vieillesse et survivants (AVS), mais contre le relèvement progressif de l’âge légal de la retraite. Pour la première fois dans le système de démocratie directe suisse, une initiative populaire visant à étendre l’État-providence a été adoptée.
Dans le système suisse de démocratie directe, la Constitution fédérale suisse peut être modifiée, entre autres, par des initiatives populaires. Dans la terminologie suisse, cela se distingue des référendums, qui concernent les décisions de l’As ..read more
OHRH Blog
3d ago
March marks a major moment for the Pacific. After nearly a year since the General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the obligations of States in respect of climate change—a decision that passed via consensus and was co-sponsored by 132 nations—the deadline for written submissions saw record numbers of Pacific Island countries participate. In the words of Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change (the students that begot the idea of taking this issue to the world’s highest court), this advisory opinion ha ..read more
OHRH Blog
3d ago
All major challenges facing Europe today have a human-rights dimension, which sooner or later the ECtHR will be invited to examine. The Court, of course, provides legal answers to legal questions. Nevertheless, its decisions are also grounded on legal pragmatism, as evidenced by Burmych (not for the ECtHR but the CM to examine 12000 repetitive cases), Köksal (Turkey had remedies for post-attempted-coup alleged violations) and Georgia v. Russia (II) (hands-off approach during active-hostilities phase).
Against this background, many thought that all the climate-change cases that had started arri ..read more
OHRH Blog
3d ago
Indian law is notorious for censuring sexuality outside of marriage, especially for women. A pertinent example is the criminalisation of a ‘false promise to marry’ (FPM) as rape, which recent law reforms will now treat as a separate sexual offence. While this invokes a bigger debate on criminalisation of deceptive sex, such treatment of marriage-related deception raises particular problems.
This offence was initially created judicially, reasoning that consent to sexual intercourse given under a misconception of fact (a false promise of marriage in future) is invalid, and therefore amount ..read more
OHRH Blog
1w ago
Amnesty laws can, in principle, be an acceptable transitional justice mechanism. It is sometimes the case that, due to lack of resources or political instability, criminal prosecutions are not a viable option against perpetrators of past crimes. The passing of a general amnesty can then provide a clean sheet so that formerly rival groups may coexist peacefully. Moreover, amnesties can be a quick and effective way to release political dissenters who were wrongly imprisoned for exercising their right to protest.
However, amnesty laws also have a dark side. When sanctioned by a government to shie ..read more
OHRH Blog
1w ago
Las leyes de amnistía son, en principio, herramientas de justicia transicional perfectamente aceptables. En ocasiones, debido a factores tales como escasez de recursos o inestabilidad política, no es posible juzgar penalmente a los responsables de cometer violaciones contra los derechos humanos. Bajo ciertas circunstancias, el dictado de una amnistía puede funcionar como borrón y cuenta nueva para que facciones otrora enemistadas comiencen a convivir pacíficamente. Además, las amnistías pueden utilizarse como un medio rápido y efectivo para liberar a personas que han sido indebidamente encarce ..read more
OHRH Blog
1w ago
The Republic of Iraq ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1986 and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in 1971. However, like many other countries which have ratified them, enforcement of these treaties’ provisions has been minimal due to reasons ranging from social norms to lack of political will. Further, current beliefs and practices relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are a function of one’s ethnic group, religion, sect, and tribe within the country. For example ..read more
OHRH Blog
1w ago
Sowohl vor dem Gerichtshof der Europäischen Union (EuGH) als auch vor dem Belgischen Verfassungsgerichtshof kämpften ein Bündnis muslimischer und jüdischer Gruppen sowie Einzelpersonen gegen regionale belgische Vorschriften zum Verbot des rituellen Schlachtens. Sie sind in beiden Verfahren unterlegen. Die Hoffnung, dass der Europäische Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte (EGMR) abweichend entscheiden würde, war gering. Vor dem Hintergrund der früheren Rechtsprechung des EGMR zum religiösen Schlachten bereitet der Straßburger Gerichtshof mit der Entscheidung vom 13. Feb ..read more