Human Rights

ECHR "Cyberbullying" Decision Prompts Proposed Irish Reforms

September 03, 2014

Citing the European Court of Human Rights ("ECHR") decision that Ireland was liable for abuse suffered by a student at state school, the country's Special Rapporteur on Child Protection Geoffrey Shannon has proposed reforms seeking to expand school responsibility for countering "cyberbullying" conduct.
Rozenberg Outlines U.K. Human Rights Options

September 03, 2014

In a recent article in The Guardian, Joshua Rozenberg analyzes the U.K.'s options for protecting its sovereignty in the area of human rights.
COE Expresses Concern over Missouri Police Response to Protesters

August 27, 2014

Secretary General of the Council of Europe ("COE") Thorbjørn Jagland has voiced concern at the use of force by Missouri police on individuals protesting the recent shooting of teenager Michael Brown and calls on the U.S. "to look into the socio-economic background" of why protesters took to the streets.
O'Neill: EU "Right to Be Forgotten" Erodes Freedom

August 20, 2014

Brendan O'Neill writes in The Telegraph that the Court of Justice of the EU's decision requiring search engines to eliminate links to information deemed irrelevant is eroding media freedom and the public's "right to know" about facts that have previously been reported on news sites.
Experts Warn EU Data Privacy Laws May Hamper Research

August 20, 2014

A joint letter from directors of science institutions across Europe warns that an amended EU law seeking to standardize the level of data protection afforded to individuals throughout the bloc would make the use of personal data in social science research in Europe far more difficult.
ECHR Prisoner Voting Rights Decision Fans Flames of U.K. Euroskepticism

August 13, 2014

The European Court of Human Rights ("ECHR") has held that the U.K. ban on prisoner voting is a human rights violation.
Grayling Announces Plans for U.K. Human Rights Act Repeal

August 06, 2014

U.K. Secretary of State for Justice Chris Grayling says the Conservative Party will issue a policy document outlining plans to repeal the U.K. Human Rights Act in favor of a British Bill of Rights, and to reinstate supremacy of British courts over human rights law.
House of Lords Committee Criticizes "Right to Be Forgotten"

August 06, 2014

A report from the House of Lords Committee on the EU finds that the Court of Justice of the EU's recent decision establishing a right to have one's information removed from online search results gives EU citizens a right that is neither enforceable by governments nor practicable for companies to carry out.
ECJ Denies Right of Access to Personal Data in Legal Analyses

August 06, 2014

The Court of Justice of the EU ("ECJ") has held that the right to access personal data under the EU Data Protection Directive does not apply to personal data used by government agencies in the conduct of a legal examination of a person's status or rights.
EU Regulators Question Tech Companies on "Right to Be Forgotten"

July 30, 2014

EU data regulators have sent a series of questions to tech companies seeking information on how these companies plan to implement the Court of Justice of the EU's recent decision that they must take down certain links upon the request of individuals.