August 1, 2014 marked the entry into force of the first legally binding instrument in Europe that specifically targets violence against women and domestic violence. The “most far reaching international treaty to tackle this serious violation of human rights,” the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic violence, known as the Istanbul Convention, requires States parties to
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In a high profile new ruling, the European Court of Human Rights has held that requiring a transsexual woman to convert her marriage into a civil partnership in order to gain full legal recognition of her gender identity does not violate the European Convention on Human Rights (Convention). ECtHR, Hämäläinen v. Finland [GC], no. 37359/09, ECHR 2014, Judgment of 16 July
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Earlier this month, the European Court of Human Rights published its Grand Chamber decision in the case of S.A.S. v. France, which challenged the French “burqa ban” on wearing face coverings in public spaces. See ECtHR, S.A.S. v. France [GC], no. 43835/11, Judgment of 1 July 2014. The Grand Chamber held that prohibiting the concealment of a person’s face in public did
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More than 75 people gathered last Thursday for Protecting Women’s Rights: International Law & Advocacy, a full-day conference for advocates and lawyers organized by the International Justice Resource Center (IJRC). The training, held at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, featured some of the most distinguished human rights and women’s rights practitioners in the world speaking on a variety
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The European Court of Human Rights has released six new factsheets summarizing its jurisprudence on the topics of: hunger strikes in detention, migrants in detention, domestic violence, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, and political parties and associations. The factsheets provide valuable insights into the kinds of issues being raised before the Court, direct practitioners to key cases and decisions, and
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The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted a landmark resolution (Resolution 275) condemning acts of violence, discrimination and other human rights violations against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity during its 55th Ordinary Session held from April 28 to May 12, 2014 in Luanda, Angola. See ACommHPR, Res. 275: Protection Against Violence and other Human
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During its eleventh session earlier this month, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) adopted general comments on Article 12 (equal recognition before the law) and Article 9 (accessibility) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. [OHCHR] These two texts are the first general comments adopted by the CRPD. See CRPD, General Comment No.
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The UN Human Rights Committee held its 110th session from March 10 to 28 to consider the State reports of Chad, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Nepal, Sierra Leone, and the United States of America. Following the session, the Committee released its concluding observations, detailing key concerns and recommendations for these States’ improved implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
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The Commission on the Status of Women held its 58th Session from March 10 to 21 at the UN Headquarters in New York, bringing together States and civil society organizations to discuss the priority theme of “challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls.” The discussion both centered on, and informed revisions to,
Read moreThe European Court of Human Rights this week issued a judgment concerning an employee’s termination due to his HIV-positive status, and the lack of judicial protection offered by the Greek courts. See ECtHR, I.B. v. Greece, no. 552/10, Judgment of 3 October 2013 (in French). The European Court held that I.B.’s termination constituted violations of articles 8 (right to respect
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