Law & Justice

ECtHR Rules UK Spies Violated Human Rights

May 26, 2021

Following revelations by former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled that Britain's GCHQ agency breached fundamental human rights by intercepting and harvesting vast amounts of communications from across the world.
Radio Free Europe Sues Russia at ECtHR

May 25, 2021

U.S. broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has filed a legal case at the European Court of Human Rights to challenge the "foreign agent" label imposed on it by Russian authorities who have heavily fined the outlet and frozen its Moscow bank accounts.
French Police Officers Protest and Demand Support

May 24, 2021

As the rate of being killed in the line of duty increases, French police officers held a large demonstration outside parliament pressing for a law that guarantees jail time for those who assault them and for a justice system that punishes the small-time offenders they arrest and re-arrest after courts set them free.
Amazon Wins Appeal over €250m EU Tax Bill

May 13, 2021

In a blow to the EU’s fight against big multinational tech companies avoiding taxes, Amazon has won a court battle over allegations that the US technology company received €250m in “illegal state aid” tax benefits from Luxembourg, overturning the 2017 decision.
EU: Poland's Disciplining of Judges against EU Law

May 10, 2021

Believing that the independence and the impartiality of Poland's Disciplinary Chamber cannot be guaranteed, the European Commission has brought a complaint to the Court of Justice, asserting that Poland's way of disciplining judges is contrary to EU law.
French Politician Marine Le Pen Acquitted in Hate Speech Trial

May 05, 2021

A court in the Paris suburb of Nanterre found that former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen did not break hate speech laws by publishing gruesome images of Islamist atrocities on Twitter to prove the comparison of her party, National Rally, to IS, was absurd.
EU Drafts Strict Rules for A.I.

April 15, 2021

Politico has obtained a draft of rules written by the European Commission that would ban certain uses of “high-risk” artificial intelligence systems and limit others from entering the bloc if they don’t meet the set standards, as well as fining companies that do not comply up to €20 million.
EU Commission Refers Poland to Europe's Top Court Regarding Judiciary Independence

April 07, 2021

The European Commission announced it will refer the Polish government to the European Court of Justice for undermining the independence of that country's judiciary through a reform law passed in 2019 that prevents judges from referring questions of law to the European Court of Justice.
Ukrainian President Dismisses Two Constitutional Court Judges

March 30, 2021

Following the Ukrainian Constitutional Court’s decision to strike down anti-corruption legislation last October, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dismissed two judges from the Constitutional Court, who were appointed by pro-Russia former President Viktor Yanukovych.
Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Resigns Amid Surveillance Scandal

March 29, 2021

Following media reports of illegal surveillance of politicians and intentional actions against the gathering of the opposition, Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Kakhaber Sabanadze has resigned.