News Feed

09/02/2021

Outrage over French girl’s rape case sparks demand for law to protect minors

Protests will take place across France in support of a woman allegedly raped by 20 firefighters when she was between 13 and 15 years old. Her case is being examined in the country’s highest court and campaigners hope it will lead to an age of sexual consent being enshrined in law as it is in the rest of the EU.

Source: The Guardian

09/02/2021

Spain considers making it easier to officially change gender

People in Spain wishing to change their official gender will no longer have to undergo medical and psychological exams or years of hormone treatment if a bill from the Equality Ministry is taken up by the government and becomes law.

Source: Reuters

16/02/2021

Russian officials drafted legislation that would allow the police to access people’s geolocation data without judicial oversight

Federal officials in Russia want to jettison privacy protections that currently require law enforcement agencies to obtain a court order before accessing cell-phone users’ geolocation and billing data. This amendment could facilitate mass surveillance of citizens.

Source: Meduza

16/02/2021

Same-sex couple takes baby citizenship fight to top EU court

A same-sex couple from Bulgaria and Gibraltar took their fight to obtain nationality for their stateless baby girl to the EU's top court. Lawyers say their battle might be a test case for thousands of same-sex parents, whose children are at risk of citizenship limbo because of legislative differences across the EU member states.

Source: France 24

16/02/2021

How Hungary is violating EU law on refugees

The European Court of Justice ruled that Hungary's deportation of refugees to Serbia was unlawful. But Viktor Orban's national-conservative government is ignoring the judgement — and continuing to deport refugees.

Source: DW

16/02/2021

Liberia war crimes: Rebel commander on trial in Finland

The trial of a suspected warlord accused of atrocities during Liberia's civil war has started in Finland. He is accused of killing civilians and soldiers who had just been disarmed, rape and recruiting child soldiers. He denies the charges and says he was taking part in peace talks at the time of the alleged crimes.

Source: BBC

16/02/2021

Dutch court escalates rule of law battle with Poland

An Amsterdam court rejected the extradition of a Polish narcotrafficking suspect to his home country, citing rule of law concerns and “a real risk” the defendant wouldn’t get a fair trial in Poland. This decision marks a further escalation of the political and legal battle between the EU and Warsaw.

Source: Politico

23/02/2021

EU takes legal steps against Hungary over NGO law

The European Commission began an infringement procedure against Hungary over a controversial law requiring foreign-funded non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to disclose their donors to authorities or face fines.

Source: DW

23/02/2021

Portugal’s euthanasia law goes for constitutional review

Portugal’s president asked the country’s Constitutional Court to evaluate a recent law passed by parliament that allows euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill and gravely injured people.

Source: AP