In January 2026, a wave of resignations swept the U.S. Department of Justice following its handling of the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE officer. At least four senior leaders from …
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Kureshi(2022). “Seeking supremacy: The pursuit of judicial power in Pakistan”
Kureshi, Y. (2022). Seeking supremacy: The pursuit of judicial power in Pakistan. Cambridge University Press. The emergence of the judiciary as an assertive and confrontational center of power has been the most consequential new feature of …
Rights groups condemn ‘unconstitutional’ detention of activist Sarah Bireete
Human rights organizations have condemned the arrest and continued detention of Sarah Bireete, a prominent Ugandan human rights defender, calling it unconstitutional and emblematic of a broader crackdown on civic space ahead of Uganda’s January …
38 international rights groups urge Turkey to halt terrorism case against İstanbul Bar leadership
In January 2026, 38 international human rights and legal organizations urged Turkey to drop terrorism charges against the leadership of the Istanbul Bar Association ahead of an expected final court ruling. Prosecutors are seeking prison …
Senate Republicans Call to Impeach Federal Judges Over Rulings
Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans are urging the US House to impeach two federal judges over rulings they argue were politically motivated and harmful to the Trump administration. The effort targets Washington, DC Chief Judge James …
Don’t ‘Kill the Lawyers’ in 2026—They’re Fighting for Justice
In this Bloomberg Law commentary (Jan. 5, 2026), attorney Abbe David Lowell argues that authoritarian-leaning leaders often target lawyers first because lawyers are essential to protecting rights and checking executive power. He reframes Shakespeare’s “let’s …
Vieira (2024). “Battle of powers”.
Vieira, O. V. (2024). Battle of powers. Wilson Center & FGV São Paulo Law School. n the epilogue of Battle of Powers, Oscar Vilhena Vieira argues that Brazil’s democracy survived the Bolsonaro era because constitutional …
Trump’s Battle With Big Law Firms Heads Into 2026: What to Know
In early 2026, the legal fight over President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting major U.S. law firms is moving into a new phase. The orders sought to restrict lawyers’ security clearances and encouraged federal …
Landau & Dixon. (2019). “Abusive judicial review: courts against democracy”.
Landau, D., & Dixon, R. (2019). Abusive judicial review: courts against democracy. UC Davis L. Rev., 53, 1313. Both in the United States and around the world, courts are generally conceptualized as the last line of defense …
Helmke (2004). “Courts under constraints: judges, generals, and presidents in Argentina”.
Helmke, G. (2004). Courts under constraints: judges, generals, and presidents in Argentina. Cambridge University Press. This study offers a theoretical framework for understanding how institutional instability affects judicial behavior under dictatorship and democracy. In stark contrast …