Brexit: The Trade-Offs
Tariq Miller, Staff Member The United Kingdom’s (“UK”) 2016 “leave” vote on Brexit was a significant disruption to the status quo. Both the Conservative and Labour parties underwent major leadership changes.[1] Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron resigned[2], and Labour’s leader, Jeremy Corbyn, continues to struggle to maintain party control following
Balkanic Paradoxes and International Law: The Bilateral Relationship between Greece and Albania
Fatjon Kaja, Staff Member This past week Albania and Greece announced that they have decided to reboot their diplomatic relations.[1] At this rate, even Sisyphus might pity them, as the two countries have not been able to agree about almost anything that they fundamentally disagree.[2] So a reboot was necessary,
Can the United States Legally go to War Against North Korea?
Zachary Miller, Staff Member Since his election, President Trump has engaged in a war of words with North Korea’s “supreme leader,” Kim Jong-un. Trump has promised “fire and fury,”[1] and threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea should war erupt.[2] But under what circumstances would war with the DPRK be legal?
Clarity Continues to Elude American Companies Regarding European Personal Data Collection
By Jack Koepke, Staff Member Standard Contractual Clauses, a mechanism to transfer data from Europe used by American companies, is being threatened while the newest law protecting the privacy of European citizens is itself under scrutiny. If this mechanism is ruled to be in violation of European law, American companies
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
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
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,
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
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
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