By Peter L. Biro What is The Notwithstanding Clause In 1982, Canada amended its Constitution, patriating it from the UK Parliament and entrenching basic civil liberties in a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter). Section 33 of the Charter - the “notwithstanding clause” (NWC) - allows Parliament or a provincial legislature to pass an... Continue Reading →
By Cathryn Grothe A Spotlight on Qatar The international spotlight is on Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. It’s not only the football matches that are receiving global attention, but also Qatar’s harrowing human rights record. To fully appreciate the controversy surrounding this year's host country, it is important to understand the long history of... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Meaning and Purpose in the Constitution Last week the American Supreme Court made two rulings on individual rights. In one case the court reversed its position on constitutional rights for women. Meanwhile, in another case they affirmed new rights to carry firearms in public. The constitution does not mention either of these... Continue Reading →
Abortion Rights After Roe The debate over abortion was always more than it seemed. Advocates for the right to abortion describe themselves as pro-choice, but many women do not believe they have a choice when they terminate a pregnancy. They suffer emotional trauma from rape or incest. They may lack the resources to provide for... Continue Reading →
Sarah Repucci is the Vice President of Research and Analysis at Freedom House. She coauthored (along with Amy Slipowitz) Freedom in the World 2022: The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule. Become a Patron! You can't protect basic human rights if you don't have democracy. If you're going to protect basic human rights, you need to... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Freedom in the World The Russian invasion of Ukraine is not an isolated event. Their aggression has broadened in recent years from incursions into Georgia, the annexation of Crimea, and support of separatists in the Donbas region. Yet this historical moment is not simply about Russia and Ukraine. It symbolizes a shift... Continue Reading →
Rana Siu Inboden joins the podcast to discuss China's participation in the international human rights regime. Rana is a senior fellow with the Robert Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas–Austin. Her new book is China and the International Human Rights Regime: 1982-2017. Chinese participation in the human rights regime... Continue Reading →
The Human Rights Regime This week’s podcast focuses on China and the international human rights regime with Rana Siu Inboden. The poor state of human rights in China is widely known. The tragedy at Tiananmen is just one of many chapters in a long story of disrespect for human rights. When I was younger, people... Continue Reading →
Dorothy Sue Cobble joins the podcast to share the history of full rights feminists. Dorothy is the Distinguished Professor of History and Labor Studies Emerita at Rutgers University and the author of For the Many: American Feminists and the Global Fight for Democratic Equality. They wanted the full array of rights. Political rights, yes,... Continue Reading →
Sarah Repucci from Freedom House joins the podcast to offer an assessment of democracy worldwide. Sarah coauthored (along with Amy Slipowitz) the most recent volume of Freedom in the World: Democracy Under Siege. We discuss the global decline of democracy, the impact of the pandemic, and highlight developments in India, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan, and the US. ... Continue Reading →
