President Donald Trump signed executive order (EO) on Wednesday reclassifying approximately 8,000 senior policy-influencing federal roles into the Schedule Policy / Career category, which effectively enables the “at will” removal of federal workers in these roles.
According to the Trump Administration, the present personnel rules present significant hurdles to removing federal employees for “any” reason.
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Federal courts consider challenges to Trump-IRS settlement as DOJ abandons anti-weaponization fund
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has permanently abandoned the $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” created as part of a May 18 settlement between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service, even as two federal…
Canada high court refuses to hear Aboriginal title appeal on New Brunswick private land
The Supreme Court of Canada refused on Thursday to hear an appeal of the six Wolastoqey communities in New Brunswick, seeking to assert Aboriginal title over private lands.
The issue before the court is whether First Nations can assert Aboriginal title over privately-owned lands, a fee simple interest in land. The top court’s refusal to hear…
France legislature unanimously repeals texts codifying slavery
The French National Assembly on Thursday unanimously voted to repeal texts codifying slavery.
MP Max Mathiasin sponsored the bill to repeal Code Noir, which was first tabled on September 16, 2025. Code Noir is “a set of texts promulgated between 1685 and 1724 that regulated and codified slavery in the French colonies.” The code was…
ICC to begin Philippines ex-president Duterte’s trial in November
By Site Admin & NP
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday scheduled the trial of former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to begin on November 30, marking the first time an Asian former head of state will face the court for alleged crimes against humanity.
Presiding Judge Joanna Korner announced the date following a request from the prosecution, which plans…
Taiwan dispatch: national human rights review calls for death penalty moratorium
Taiwan concluded its three-day Review Meeting on the Two International Human Rights Covenants on May 15, followed by a press conference. The death penalty emerged as a primary focus.
Taiwan’s Review Report on the Two International Human Rights Covenants is a governmental self-assessment of its compliance with UN international human rights standards—specifically the International Covenant…
Kenya dispatch: Nairobi’s anti-France protests spark debate over democracy, diplomacy
Griffins Abuora is a Kenya School of Law student based in Kisumu, where he reports on legal, policy, and human rights developments in Kenya for JURIST.
The arrest of five activists in Nairobi on May 12, 2026 during the Africa Forward Summit once again placed Kenya at the centre of a difficult debate: how should…
Italy dispatch: landmark ruling recognizes three legal parents for child born via foreign surrogacy
Sophia Kuhnke is a law student at Università Bocconi School of Law and a JURIST correspondent covering recent developments in Italy.
On Tuesday, the 12th of May, the Bari Court of Appeal (Corte di Appello di Bari) in southern Italy delivered a ruling legally recognising three parents for a four-year-old.
This case, serving as a…
International Criminal Court orders ongoing detention of former Philippines president
A pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday ordered that former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte remain in custody in The Hague. The judges found that “there is a real and substantial risk” that Duterte could “abscond or obstruct justice.”
In making their decision, the chamber summarized the Pre-Trial Chamber I Decision on…
Rights organizations issue joint letter on human rights ahead of EU–China engagement and MEP visit
By Site Admin & AL
A group of top human rights organizations issued a joint public letter on Wednesday ahead of the highly anticipated EU-China conference, urging the Members of the European Parliament to put human rights at the center of attention.
The letter calls on the European Union to stop prioritizing business interests over human rights, declaring that Europe’s…