Author name: MJIL

Saudi Crown Prince Continues to Implement Sweeping Reforms to Create a More “Moderate” Saudi Arabia

Tom Overhaug, Staff Member The House of Saud has ruled Saudi Arabia since 1932 with more or less complete control.[1] The current king, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is 87 years old.[2] With only a brief amount of time left in his reign, King Salman has been making efforts to appoint a crown prince with […]

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The Indissoluble Unity of the Spanish Nation . . . and the European Union?

By Lara Williams, Staff Member Following an emergency cabinet meeting last week, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy detailed plans to apply Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution in Catalonia, escalating the country’s most serious constitutional crisis since the restoration of democracy in 1977.[1] The article, that has never before been used, enables the central government

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Cautious Optimism for Somali Sexual Assault and Rape Reform

By Abigail Hencheck, Staff Member Somalia does not have a great reputation for women’s rights. It hasn’t ratified the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)[1], women only marginally participate in politics[2], and structural barriers often prevent women from enforcing their property rights.[3] Most infamously, Somali women receive very little

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Labor Reforms Spur Up in France in the Wake of High Unemployment Rates

By Hadley Simonett, Staff Member On August 31, 2017, France’s President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to reform the Code du Travail, France’s contested labor laws.[1] Macron, accompanied by Labour Minister Muriel Pénicaud, and government spokesman Christophe Castaner signed five decrees on September 22, 2017, implementing thirty-six changes to France’s labor law.[2]  By adopting the Ordinances,

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The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance: Varying International Standards on Juvenile Responsibility

By Rebecca Rosefelt, Staff Member Childhood is a relatively new concept,[1] and juvenile justice systems like those in Western democracies gained steam with the industrial revolution.[2] However, one issue has been of contention since at least the fifth century: at what age does society hold a person criminally liable?[3] Standards still vary across the globe,

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Decaying Center: Germany’s Election Results and its Consequences for Europe

By Robby Dube, Staff Member Over the past decade, the European Continent has seen a surge in populist parties; the far left Syriza in Greece, the isolationist United Kingdom Independence Party (“UKIP”), and the nationalist National Front in France have all seen substantial success in recent years.[i] In the Federal Republic of Germany (“Germany”), however,

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GETTING FROM ISOLATION TO INTEGRATION: KEY CHALLENGES FACING ALBANIA ON ITS PATH TO EU MEMBERSHIP

By Ilva Caushi, MJIL Staff Member Albania’s progression to EU membership has not been hindered by the same issues which plague many of its Balkan counterparts, namely ethnic divisions or unresolved statehood issues.[1] Instead, as previously discussed, the country’s delayed journey can largely be attributed to inadequate advancements in establishing a functioning democracy and the

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Including Launch Services in the GATS Can Relieve the Drought in the United States Small Satellite Launch Market.

By Shane Fitzmaurice, MJIL Staff Member Currently, small satellite developers in the United States are pressuring the government to let them launch their satellites on India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).[1] These companies would be more than happy to launch their satellites on vehicles made in the United States, except there isn’t enough supply.[2] United

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