A case was brought against government authorities in Pakistan by a local farmer for their failure to put in place sufficient adaptation measures and the resulting damage to his livelihood. The Court held that Pakistan had violated citizens’ rights to life, dignity and property and ordered the government to take measures to minimise the impacts […]
Resource Bank
A Dutch environmental group and 886 citizens sued the Netherlands for not taking enough action to reduce their GHG emissions. In 2019, the Dutch Supreme Court found that the Dutch government must, by 2020, have reduced their GHG emissions by at least 25% from 1990 levels. The government’s failure to do this was a violation […]
Resource Bank
This is the most recent climate change agreement under the UNFCCC. Its key features are: It sets an objective of limiting global temperature rises to well below 2°C, while pursuing efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C; All countries have an obligation to reduce their GHG emissions; and Countries have to submit nationally determined contributions, which detail countries […]
Resource Bank
This was the first international agreement on climate change. It sets the global framework for negotiations on climate change and 197 countries are parties. It contains general obligations for countries to: Take mitigation measures to avoid dangerous climate change; and Take adaptation measures to protect impacted communities. But, as a framework convention, its commitments are […]
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UK courts held Augusto Pinochet, the ex-dictator of Chile, liable for torture committed during his rule. The court decided that individuals could not enjoy immunity for torture after they left office.
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The Italian Constitutional Court ruled that Italian courts could hear cases against Germany for WWII human rights abuses. They ruled that the right to judicial protection for human rights violations could not be sacrificed by the law of State Immunity.
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Russia has been held liable for human rights abuses of local authorities in Transnistria, a region of Moldova under its effective control.
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Nicaragua brought a case before the International Court of Justice complaining of US involvement during its civil war. It argued that the US was responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by a paramilitary group called the “Contras” because of the level of control it had over the group. Although the ICJ found […]
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A complaint was brought to the UN Human Rights Committee for inhumane conditions in a detention centre in Australia that was run by a private contractor. The HRC held that the contracting out to the private sector of core State activities involving the use of force and the detention of persons does not absolve a […]
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The Inter-American Court on Human Rights held Guatemala liable for its failure to protect street children from abuse and provide for their well-being. The Court ordered Guatemala to pay compensation, establish a school for street children, and provide for their social care and security generally.
Resource Bank
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