Our Mission
The Lawyers and Democratic Decline (LADD) project brings together an international community of scholars investigating the role of lawyers in resisting — and at times enabling — authoritarianism in contexts of democratic backsliding.
Through collaborative research, comparative analysis, and public events, LADD explores how legal professionals navigate repression, uphold democratic norms, and negotiate their professional identity in times of political crisis.
Updates
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Supreme Court cements Trump’s power over agencies long considered independent
In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a 91-year-old precedent (Humphrey’s Executor) that had barred presidents from firing members of independent federal agencies without cause. The ruling upheld President Trump’s…
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Israeli former leaders and security chiefs threaten legal action over ‘Jewish terrorism’
Dozens of prominent Israelis — including two former prime ministers (Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak), former heads of the country’s security services, retired judges, a Nobel laureate, and leading cultural figures —…
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Commonwealth Lawyers Association Statement regarding arrest and detention of Erias Lukwago
The Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) has condemned the detention of Ugandan lawyer Erias Lukwago by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) on June 15, 2026. Lukwago is a lead defence counsel in…
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Ugandan opposition figure’s lawyer charged with treason-related offence
A prominent Ugandan lawyer, Erias Lukwago, was charged on June 17, 2026 with “misprision of treason”—failing to report treason to authorities—days after security forces arrested him. Lukwago, a senior opposition figure and…
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Ecuador: Prosecutor Shot and Killed
In Ecuador, prosecutor Gloria Alexandra Bravo Cedeño was shot and killed in the coastal city of Manta on June 14, 2026, in an attack that also killed her sister, Human Rights Watch…
Upcoming Events
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