On July 30, 2025, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, citing human rights abuses and political persecution in the case against former President Jair Bolsonaro. De Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro’s trial for allegedly plotting to overturn his 2022 electoral defeat, faces asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Act. This …
On July 28, 2025, Lawyers Defending American Democracy (LDAD), its Maryland chapter (MD-LDAD), the Lawyers Society for the Rule of Law Institute (SRLI), and retired Judge J. Michael Luttig filed an amicus curiae brief in support of federal judges targeted by a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice. The case challenges a Standing …
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a formal complaint against District Judge James Boasberg, accusing him of misconduct and demanding his removal from a key deportation case. The complaint stems from Boasberg’s reported private remarks expressing concern that the Trump administration might ignore court rulings—comments DOJ officials claim undermine public trust in the judiciary. The …
In a lecture at NALSAR University, Senior Advocate Raju Ramachandran emphasized the need for a transparent and constitutionally grounded mechanism for removing judges in India to ensure a balance between judicial independence and accountability. Drawing on his experience with the Justice V. Ramaswami impeachment case—the country’s first attempted judicial removal—he warned against the judiciary’s growing …
In a speech at the Ninth Circuit’s judicial conference, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan expressed strong concerns about the Court’s increasing reliance on the “shadow docket” — emergency rulings issued without full briefing, oral arguments, or detailed explanation. She urged caution, noting that such untransparent decisions can undermine lower courts and judicial accountability. Kagan’s …
In New Jersey on July 22, a panel of federal judges refused to extend the interim tenure of Alina Habba – a former lawyer for President Donald Trump – as U.S. Attorney. They instead appointed career prosecutor Desiree Grace to replace Habba, whose 120-day term was expiring. Hours later, Trump’s Attorney General Pam Bondi removed …
Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey and a lead prosecutor in the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases, was abruptly fired from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office in July 2025. No reason was given for her dismissal, which reportedly did not originate from the local office but likely from higher levels within …
In a previously unreported investigation, the U.S. Justice Department explored bringing criminal charges against Minnesota judges and defense attorneys who suggested virtual court hearings to protect undocumented immigrants from arrest by federal agents. The FBI launched a preliminary probe in early 2025, citing concerns that such practices might obstruct immigration enforcement. These virtual hearings, widely …
More than 900 former U.S. Department of Justice employees have signed a letter warning the Senate Judiciary Committee against confirming Emil Bove, President Donald Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The letter, organized by the advocacy group Justice Connection, criticizes Bove’s leadership and alleged role in undermining constitutional norms, …
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has condemned the Tunisian government’s escalating repression of lawyers, warning that arrests and prosecutions of legal professionals for exercising free speech or defending politically sensitive clients pose a grave threat to judicial independence and fair trial rights. Central to the concern is the arrest of prominent lawyer Ahmed Souab …