Latest items for DTCP-LAW-1
March 18, 2023, 10:20 p.m.
Countries: Ethiopia
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"[T]he Constitution recognizes religious and customary courts. The only religious court that exists in the country is the Islamic Court of the Country established by the Federal Courts of Sharia Consolidation Proclamation 188/1995. The Court has jurisdiction over matters of marriage, divorce, maintenance, and guardianship and minors and family rights if the marriage was concluded under and the parties have consented to be adjudicated by Islamic law. Thus, a party who concluded his/her marriage and does not consent to have a dispute he is a party to, to be adjudicated by the Shari a court will not be subjected to the jurisdiction of the Court. Moreover, under Ethiopian law, despite...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"[T]he Constitution recognizes religious and customary courts. The only religious court that exists in the country is the Islamic Court of the Country established by the Federal Courts of Sharia Consolidation Proclamation 188/1995. The Court has jurisdiction over matters of marriage, divorce, maintenance, and guardianship and minors and family rights if the marriage was concluded under and the parties have consented to be adjudicated by Islamic law. Thus, a party who concluded his/her marriage and does not consent to have a dispute he is a party to, to be adjudicated by the Shari a court will not be subjected to the jurisdiction of the Court. Moreover, under Ethiopian law, despite...more
March 11, 2023, 9:25 a.m.
Countries: Ethiopia
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Ethiopia is also adopted the Criminal Justice Policy in 2011 which lays the foundation for special protection of vulnerable groups namely women and children. The policy caters for the needs and special situation of women — both as defendants and victims of crimes" (4).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Ethiopia is also adopted the Criminal Justice Policy in 2011 which lays the foundation for special protection of vulnerable groups namely women and children. The policy caters for the needs and special situation of women — both as defendants and victims of crimes" (4).
Feb. 24, 2023, 12:54 p.m.
Countries: Nepal
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"The Constitution provides separate provision on rights of women and guarantees the following: (a) Every woman shall have equal lineage right without gender-based discrimination;" (5). "As the outcome of the broad-based consensual political discourse, the Constitution has integrated gender equality by eliminating all forms of discrimination against women through clear provision from women’s rights framework and the spirit and intent of CEDAW. The Constitution provisions that ‘every woman shall have equal lineage right without gender-based discrimination’ and ‘the spouse shall have the equal right to property and family affairs’." (25).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"The Constitution provides separate provision on rights of women and guarantees the following: (a) Every woman shall have equal lineage right without gender-based discrimination;" (5). "As the outcome of the broad-based consensual political discourse, the Constitution has integrated gender equality by eliminating all forms of discrimination against women through clear provision from women’s rights framework and the spirit and intent of CEDAW. The Constitution provisions that ‘every woman shall have equal lineage right without gender-based discrimination’ and ‘the spouse shall have the equal right to property and family affairs’." (25).
Feb. 19, 2023, 1:18 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: DACH-LAW-1, ERBG-PRACTICE-2, ERBG-PRACTICE-3, ERBG-LAW-1, LBHO-PRACTICE-2, LBHO-LAW-1, DV-LAW-1, AFE-LAW-1, DTCP-LAW-1, CONST-LAW-1
“While the law provides women the same legal status and rights as men, women faced some discrimination in economic participation and political empowerment. The law provides for equal opportunities in all spheres of public, economic, and political life; equal access to public resources; equal treatment; exclusion of gender-based discrimination and violence; balanced representation of men and women in all decision-making bodies; and overcoming gender-based stereotypes” (p. 23).
Variables: DACH-LAW-1, ERBG-PRACTICE-2, ERBG-PRACTICE-3, ERBG-LAW-1, LBHO-PRACTICE-2, LBHO-LAW-1, DV-LAW-1, AFE-LAW-1, DTCP-LAW-1, CONST-LAW-1
“While the law provides women the same legal status and rights as men, women faced some discrimination in economic participation and political empowerment. The law provides for equal opportunities in all spheres of public, economic, and political life; equal access to public resources; equal treatment; exclusion of gender-based discrimination and violence; balanced representation of men and women in all decision-making bodies; and overcoming gender-based stereotypes” (p. 23).
Feb. 18, 2023, 10:28 a.m.
Countries: Chad
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"The Higher Islamic Council in the eastern town of Mangalmé has decreed that men must pay £12 and women up to £30 for refusing to marry. Local authorities said the fine, known as 'amchilini', is based on the Quran and follows Sharia law" (Para.2). "Chad, which is in the middle of the Sahara Desert, has the highest rate of child marriage in the world – 70 per cent of girls are married before they are 18, according to Unicef. Around 30 per cent of girls are married before they turn 15. This is despite a law that was passed in 2015 to criminalise child marriages. The ruling also contravenes the...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"The Higher Islamic Council in the eastern town of Mangalmé has decreed that men must pay £12 and women up to £30 for refusing to marry. Local authorities said the fine, known as 'amchilini', is based on the Quran and follows Sharia law" (Para.2). "Chad, which is in the middle of the Sahara Desert, has the highest rate of child marriage in the world – 70 per cent of girls are married before they are 18, according to Unicef. Around 30 per cent of girls are married before they turn 15. This is despite a law that was passed in 2015 to criminalise child marriages. The ruling also contravenes the...more
Feb. 13, 2023, 11:08 a.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"In all but a handful of provinces in the country, girls' secondary schools have been ordered to remain closed by the Taliban" (Para.4) "Back in March, it seemed as if girls' schools were about to reopen. But just an hour or so after pupils began arriving, the Taliban leadership announced a sudden change in policy. For the students at the secret school, and many other teenage girls, the pain is still raw" (Para.7-8) " 'It's been two months now, and still schools haven't reopened,' one 19-year-old in the makeshift classroom told us. 'It makes me so sad,' she added, covering her face with the palms of her hands to hold...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"In all but a handful of provinces in the country, girls' secondary schools have been ordered to remain closed by the Taliban" (Para.4) "Back in March, it seemed as if girls' schools were about to reopen. But just an hour or so after pupils began arriving, the Taliban leadership announced a sudden change in policy. For the students at the secret school, and many other teenage girls, the pain is still raw" (Para.7-8) " 'It's been two months now, and still schools haven't reopened,' one 19-year-old in the makeshift classroom told us. 'It makes me so sad,' she added, covering her face with the palms of her hands to hold...more
Feb. 13, 2023, 11:07 a.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"In all but a handful of provinces in the country, girls' secondary schools have been ordered to remain closed by the Taliban" (Para.4) "Back in March, it seemed as if girls' schools were about to reopen. But just an hour or so after pupils began arriving, the Taliban leadership announced a sudden change in policy. For the students at the secret school, and many other teenage girls, the pain is still raw" (Para.7-8) " 'It's been two months now, and still schools haven't reopened,' one 19-year-old in the makeshift classroom told us. 'It makes me so sad,' she added, covering her face with the palms of her hands to hold...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"In all but a handful of provinces in the country, girls' secondary schools have been ordered to remain closed by the Taliban" (Para.4) "Back in March, it seemed as if girls' schools were about to reopen. But just an hour or so after pupils began arriving, the Taliban leadership announced a sudden change in policy. For the students at the secret school, and many other teenage girls, the pain is still raw" (Para.7-8) " 'It's been two months now, and still schools haven't reopened,' one 19-year-old in the makeshift classroom told us. 'It makes me so sad,' she added, covering her face with the palms of her hands to hold...more
Feb. 13, 2023, 10:57 a.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"[S]upporters of secondary education for girls have unexpected new allies: Muslim clerics, including those sympathetic to the Taliban.'Clerics are coming out and issuing statements and saying girls' education is a right,' says Ibraheem Bahiss, an analyst for the International Crisis Group. 'They're trying to convince the hardliners that this decision is detrimental.' " (Para.2-3) "And if the Taliban do ultimately allow girls to attend secondary school girls, they are likely to forced to don a face veil and will be carefully watched by teachers appointed by local Taliban officials to ensure they strictly adhere to their restrictive uniforms" (Para.5). "[C]leric Jalilullah Akhundzada, head of the Dar al-Uloom seminary in the...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"[S]upporters of secondary education for girls have unexpected new allies: Muslim clerics, including those sympathetic to the Taliban.'Clerics are coming out and issuing statements and saying girls' education is a right,' says Ibraheem Bahiss, an analyst for the International Crisis Group. 'They're trying to convince the hardliners that this decision is detrimental.' " (Para.2-3) "And if the Taliban do ultimately allow girls to attend secondary school girls, they are likely to forced to don a face veil and will be carefully watched by teachers appointed by local Taliban officials to ensure they strictly adhere to their restrictive uniforms" (Para.5). "[C]leric Jalilullah Akhundzada, head of the Dar al-Uloom seminary in the...more
Feb. 4, 2023, 6:14 p.m.
Countries: Namibia
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"To this effect, the Native Proclamation Administration Act of 1928 which discriminated marriages conducted north of the ‘red line’ will be repealed by the envisaged Marital Property Law."(11) (NF -CODER COMMENT - The 'red line' mentioned is a large fence erected back in the 19th century that strecthes over 1,000 kilometers across Namibia, separating it into two parts. This act also impacted inheritance since it relied on individuals to be married either by customary rule or by a christian religious figure. Women that were not married under these two circumstances can be barred from receiving their inheritance). "Apartheid Era Laws that discriminated against women are being repealed. Chief among them,...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"To this effect, the Native Proclamation Administration Act of 1928 which discriminated marriages conducted north of the ‘red line’ will be repealed by the envisaged Marital Property Law."(11) (NF -CODER COMMENT - The 'red line' mentioned is a large fence erected back in the 19th century that strecthes over 1,000 kilometers across Namibia, separating it into two parts. This act also impacted inheritance since it relied on individuals to be married either by customary rule or by a christian religious figure. Women that were not married under these two circumstances can be barred from receiving their inheritance). "Apartheid Era Laws that discriminated against women are being repealed. Chief among them,...more
Feb. 4, 2023, 8:40 a.m.
Countries: Iraq
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"[A]rticles 128, 130 and 131 of the Penal Code [states] that perpetrators of crimes committed in the name of 'honour' cannot invoke the defence of honour as a mitigating circumstance for homicide" (6). This includes women (MV-coder comment). "[A]rticle 41 of the Constitution of 2005 [] provides for the adoption of different personal status laws according to religious doctrines" (12).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"[A]rticles 128, 130 and 131 of the Penal Code [states] that perpetrators of crimes committed in the name of 'honour' cannot invoke the defence of honour as a mitigating circumstance for homicide" (6). This includes women (MV-coder comment). "[A]rticle 41 of the Constitution of 2005 [] provides for the adoption of different personal status laws according to religious doctrines" (12).
Jan. 21, 2023, 8:08 a.m.
Countries: Iran
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"In a stronger statement from supreme leader Ali Khamenei in 2017, he introduced the phrase of 'atash-beh-ekhtiar,' the Persian word for 'fire at will' or 'act at will'. Under this concept, Khamenei advised 'revolutionary youth', like members [of] Basij not to wait for orders but rather to act independently on cultural and social problems" (para 23). This was in response to women who violate the mandatory dress code but it also includes all aspect of society (MV-coder comment).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"In a stronger statement from supreme leader Ali Khamenei in 2017, he introduced the phrase of 'atash-beh-ekhtiar,' the Persian word for 'fire at will' or 'act at will'. Under this concept, Khamenei advised 'revolutionary youth', like members [of] Basij not to wait for orders but rather to act independently on cultural and social problems" (para 23). This was in response to women who violate the mandatory dress code but it also includes all aspect of society (MV-coder comment).
Dec. 22, 2022, 6:13 p.m.
Countries: Indonesia
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"The central government...has no legal authority to revoke local laws, such as the 2004 dress code in Aceh province that was inspired by Sharia, or Islamic law" (para 2).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"The central government...has no legal authority to revoke local laws, such as the 2004 dress code in Aceh province that was inspired by Sharia, or Islamic law" (para 2).
Dec. 8, 2022, 3:20 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have ordered television broadcasters to ensure that female presenters on local stations cover their faces when on air in the latest crackdown on women's rights.The move comes days after authorities ordered women to cover their faces in public - an escalation of the already severe restrictions following the Taliban's return to power amid the US pullout of Afghanistan" (para 1-2). "Most recently, Taliban leaders introduced regulations such as limiting women's movement without a male chaperone, and two weeks ago gave an order that all women must wear a face covering in public. The decree said women should leave the home only when necessary and that male...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have ordered television broadcasters to ensure that female presenters on local stations cover their faces when on air in the latest crackdown on women's rights.The move comes days after authorities ordered women to cover their faces in public - an escalation of the already severe restrictions following the Taliban's return to power amid the US pullout of Afghanistan" (para 1-2). "Most recently, Taliban leaders introduced regulations such as limiting women's movement without a male chaperone, and two weeks ago gave an order that all women must wear a face covering in public. The decree said women should leave the home only when necessary and that male...more
Nov. 17, 2022, 11:12 p.m.
Countries: Sierra Leone
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"In Sierra Leone, customary law sits alongside statutory law, but in rural areas, where there is little access to statutory justice services, customary law tends to prevail" (12).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"In Sierra Leone, customary law sits alongside statutory law, but in rural areas, where there is little access to statutory justice services, customary law tends to prevail" (12).
Sept. 26, 2022, 7 p.m.
Countries: Paraguay
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Paraguay recognizes plural legal systems by granting indigenous population their right to draw on customary law. The country has a constitutional framework (Constitution, Art 63) in which the rights of indigenous peoples are recognized and it guarantees the right of indigenous peoples to preserve and develop their 'ethnic identity in their respective habitat' as well as applying customary norms for the regulation of their internal coexistence. Those norms are applicable as long as they do not 'infringe upon the fundamental rights established in the Constitution'. In case of conflicting laws, indigenous customary law is 'taken into account'" (3).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Paraguay recognizes plural legal systems by granting indigenous population their right to draw on customary law. The country has a constitutional framework (Constitution, Art 63) in which the rights of indigenous peoples are recognized and it guarantees the right of indigenous peoples to preserve and develop their 'ethnic identity in their respective habitat' as well as applying customary norms for the regulation of their internal coexistence. Those norms are applicable as long as they do not 'infringe upon the fundamental rights established in the Constitution'. In case of conflicting laws, indigenous customary law is 'taken into account'" (3).
Sept. 1, 2022, 3:34 p.m.
Countries: South Sudan
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Rights in the land owned by the Government of Southern Sudan shall be exercised through the appropriate or designated level of government in Southern Sudan, which shall recognize customary land rights under customary land law. All levels of government in Southern Sudan shall institute a process to progressively develop and amend the relevant laws to incorporate customary laws, practices, local heritage and international trends and practices" (11).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Rights in the land owned by the Government of Southern Sudan shall be exercised through the appropriate or designated level of government in Southern Sudan, which shall recognize customary land rights under customary land law. All levels of government in Southern Sudan shall institute a process to progressively develop and amend the relevant laws to incorporate customary laws, practices, local heritage and international trends and practices" (11).
Sept. 1, 2022, 3:34 p.m.
Countries: South Sudan
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Rights in the land owned by the Government of Southern Sudan shall be exercised through the appropriate or designated level of government in Southern Sudan, which shall recognize customary land rights under customary land law. All levels of government in Southern Sudan shall institute a process to progressively develop and amend the relevant laws to incorporate customary laws, practices, local heritage and international trends and practices" (11).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Rights in the land owned by the Government of Southern Sudan shall be exercised through the appropriate or designated level of government in Southern Sudan, which shall recognize customary land rights under customary land law. All levels of government in Southern Sudan shall institute a process to progressively develop and amend the relevant laws to incorporate customary laws, practices, local heritage and international trends and practices" (11).
June 29, 2022, 11:33 a.m.
Countries: Indonesia
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"[The Committee]... is particularly concerned about: (a) The persistence of child marriages, especially in rural areas, under article 7 (2) of Law No. 16/2019 on marriage, which authorizes the religious courts to grant exemptions from the legal minimum age of marriage" (15).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"[The Committee]... is particularly concerned about: (a) The persistence of child marriages, especially in rural areas, under article 7 (2) of Law No. 16/2019 on marriage, which authorizes the religious courts to grant exemptions from the legal minimum age of marriage" (15).
April 29, 2022, 5:43 p.m.
Countries: Russia
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"However, the Committee notes with concern:... the application of discriminatory religious and customary laws on divorce and inheritance and the denial of child custody to women, particularly in the North Caucasus region" (14).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"However, the Committee notes with concern:... the application of discriminatory religious and customary laws on divorce and inheritance and the denial of child custody to women, particularly in the North Caucasus region" (14).
March 25, 2022, 8:54 p.m.
Countries: United Arab Emirates
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Sharia (Islamic) courts, which adjudicate criminal and family law cases, may impose flogging as punishment for adultery, prostitution, consensual premarital sex, pregnancy outside marriage, defamation of character, and drug or alcohol charges. Reports of flogging were rare and tended to be confined to only a few jurisdictions" (3). "Women faced legal discrimination because of the government’s interpretation of sharia" (11). "The government’s interpretation of sharia applies in personal status cases and family law. Muslim women must have the consent of their guardians to marry. Local interpretation of sharia forbids Muslim women to marry non-Muslims. In addition, the law permits a man to have as many as four wives, women normally...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Sharia (Islamic) courts, which adjudicate criminal and family law cases, may impose flogging as punishment for adultery, prostitution, consensual premarital sex, pregnancy outside marriage, defamation of character, and drug or alcohol charges. Reports of flogging were rare and tended to be confined to only a few jurisdictions" (3). "Women faced legal discrimination because of the government’s interpretation of sharia" (11). "The government’s interpretation of sharia applies in personal status cases and family law. Muslim women must have the consent of their guardians to marry. Local interpretation of sharia forbids Muslim women to marry non-Muslims. In addition, the law permits a man to have as many as four wives, women normally...more
March 10, 2022, 10:53 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"While the government effectively enforced the law, its interpretation by religious courts in cases brought before them, not to civil courts, precluded full implementation of civil law in all provinces, such as in the case of an abused wife compelled to return to her husband under personal status laws, despite battery being outlawed in the penal code" (31). "In matters of marriage, child custody, inheritance, and divorce, personal status laws provide unequal treatment across the various confessional court systems but generally discriminate against women. All 18 recognized religious groups have their own personal status courts responsible for handling these issues, and laws vary depending on the religious group" (32).more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"While the government effectively enforced the law, its interpretation by religious courts in cases brought before them, not to civil courts, precluded full implementation of civil law in all provinces, such as in the case of an abused wife compelled to return to her husband under personal status laws, despite battery being outlawed in the penal code" (31). "In matters of marriage, child custody, inheritance, and divorce, personal status laws provide unequal treatment across the various confessional court systems but generally discriminate against women. All 18 recognized religious groups have their own personal status courts responsible for handling these issues, and laws vary depending on the religious group" (32).more
Feb. 5, 2022, 9:24 a.m.
Countries: Mozambique
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"...In some regions, particularly the northern provinces, women had limited access to the formal judicial system for enforcement of rights provided by the civil code and instead relied on customary law to settle disputes. Enforcement of laws that protect women’s rights to land ownership in the formal economy remained poor. Women typically could not inherit land under customary law" (16).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"...In some regions, particularly the northern provinces, women had limited access to the formal judicial system for enforcement of rights provided by the civil code and instead relied on customary law to settle disputes. Enforcement of laws that protect women’s rights to land ownership in the formal economy remained poor. Women typically could not inherit land under customary law" (16).
Jan. 24, 2022, 12:55 p.m.
Countries: Djibouti
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"The Cellule d’Ecoute (Listening Committee) addresses domestic violence in a tripartite arrangement with the Ministry of Justice, law enforcement agencies, and the council on sharia. This committee refers cases to the Ministry of Justice when abuse is violent or to the council on sharia for divorce proceedings" (17).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"The Cellule d’Ecoute (Listening Committee) addresses domestic violence in a tripartite arrangement with the Ministry of Justice, law enforcement agencies, and the council on sharia. This committee refers cases to the Ministry of Justice when abuse is violent or to the council on sharia for divorce proceedings" (17).
Jan. 6, 2022, 12:09 p.m.
Countries: Somalia
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Yes, in most cases government will allow religious tribunals or systems of customary law to adjudicate certain types of legal matters such as divorce, inheritance, rape, etc. This is due to the major role clan elders play in society. While the provisional constitution states that such legal matters can be resolved in court, both perpetrator and the victim will have clan elders settle the matter" (1).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Yes, in most cases government will allow religious tribunals or systems of customary law to adjudicate certain types of legal matters such as divorce, inheritance, rape, etc. This is due to the major role clan elders play in society. While the provisional constitution states that such legal matters can be resolved in court, both perpetrator and the victim will have clan elders settle the matter" (1).
Nov. 17, 2021, 8:27 p.m.
Countries: Singapore
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Women and girls, men older than 50 years and boys younger than 16, men sentenced to death whose sentences were not commuted, and persons determined medically unfit were exempt from punishment by caning" (2).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Women and girls, men older than 50 years and boys younger than 16, men sentenced to death whose sentences were not commuted, and persons determined medically unfit were exempt from punishment by caning" (2).
Nov. 1, 2021, 11:19 p.m.
Countries: Pakistan
Variables: DV-PRACTICE-1, DTCP-LAW-1
"In July, Khan’s government was criticised by rights activists when news surfaced that it had sent the domestic violence protection and prevention bill 2021, designed to offer protection to women under threat from domestic violence, to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) for review. The body, made up entirely of men, examines laws to ensure they align with the values and rules of Islam. Last week, the CII criticised the bill and shared its concerns over 'un-Islamic injunctions' and said it would destroy the institution of the family" (para 13-14).
Variables: DV-PRACTICE-1, DTCP-LAW-1
"In July, Khan’s government was criticised by rights activists when news surfaced that it had sent the domestic violence protection and prevention bill 2021, designed to offer protection to women under threat from domestic violence, to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) for review. The body, made up entirely of men, examines laws to ensure they align with the values and rules of Islam. Last week, the CII criticised the bill and shared its concerns over 'un-Islamic injunctions' and said it would destroy the institution of the family" (para 13-14).
Oct. 28, 2021, 12:31 a.m.
Countries: Austria
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"The law provides for the right to a fair and public trial, and an independent judiciary generally enforced this right. The law presumes persons charged with criminal offenses are innocent until proven guilty; authorities inform them promptly and in detail of the charges. Trials must be public and conducted orally; defendants have the right to be present at their trial. Attorneys are not mandatory in cases of minor offenses, but legal counsel is available at no charge for needy persons in cases where attorneys are mandatory. The law grants defendants and their attorneys adequate time and facilities to prepare a defense. Defendants can confront or question witnesses against them and...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"The law provides for the right to a fair and public trial, and an independent judiciary generally enforced this right. The law presumes persons charged with criminal offenses are innocent until proven guilty; authorities inform them promptly and in detail of the charges. Trials must be public and conducted orally; defendants have the right to be present at their trial. Attorneys are not mandatory in cases of minor offenses, but legal counsel is available at no charge for needy persons in cases where attorneys are mandatory. The law grants defendants and their attorneys adequate time and facilities to prepare a defense. Defendants can confront or question witnesses against them and...more
Sept. 22, 2021, 10:41 a.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"[The committee] welcomes the establishment of the International Crimes Investigation Directorate by the Office of the Attorney General to ensure the prosecution of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes and takes note of the challenges faced by the State party in exercising effective control and ensuring security in certain areas, which has led to cases of gender-based violence against women being adjudicated by informal justice mechanisms such as jirgas and shuras. The Committee notes with great concern that gender-based violence against women and girls, including conflict-related sexual violence, persists in all spheres of life in the State party" (4).
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"[The committee] welcomes the establishment of the International Crimes Investigation Directorate by the Office of the Attorney General to ensure the prosecution of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes and takes note of the challenges faced by the State party in exercising effective control and ensuring security in certain areas, which has led to cases of gender-based violence against women being adjudicated by informal justice mechanisms such as jirgas and shuras. The Committee notes with great concern that gender-based violence against women and girls, including conflict-related sexual violence, persists in all spheres of life in the State party" (4).
Sept. 14, 2021, 9:15 a.m.
Countries: Ghana
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"A dark, shameful blot on the pages of American history, the witch hunts of Salem, Massachusetts, in the 1690s represent an era we’re all glad is far behind us. But in some areas of Africa, the same sorts of accusations that plagued the colonists of Salem still hang heavy over the heads of women every day. This is especially true in Ghana’s Northern Region, where it is not uncommon for powerful Voodoo priests to lead crusades against alleged witches whom they believe are using secret spells, rituals, and curses to unfairly help themselves and harm others" (para 1-2). "As time went on, the priest claimed the gods had revealed to...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"A dark, shameful blot on the pages of American history, the witch hunts of Salem, Massachusetts, in the 1690s represent an era we’re all glad is far behind us. But in some areas of Africa, the same sorts of accusations that plagued the colonists of Salem still hang heavy over the heads of women every day. This is especially true in Ghana’s Northern Region, where it is not uncommon for powerful Voodoo priests to lead crusades against alleged witches whom they believe are using secret spells, rituals, and curses to unfairly help themselves and harm others" (para 1-2). "As time went on, the priest claimed the gods had revealed to...more
Sept. 8, 2021, 4:30 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"There was a widespread shortage of judges, primarily in insecure areas, leading to the adjudication of many cases through informal, traditional mediation. A shortage of women judges, particularly outside of Kabul, limited access to justice for women. Many women are unable to use the formal justice system because cultural norms preclude their engagement with male officials. During the year only 257 of 2,029, or 13 percent, of judges were women, a slight increase from 2018. The formal justice system is stronger in urban centers, closer to the central government, and weaker in rural areas. In rural areas lacking physical space for judges or prosecutors to operate and adequate security protection,...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"There was a widespread shortage of judges, primarily in insecure areas, leading to the adjudication of many cases through informal, traditional mediation. A shortage of women judges, particularly outside of Kabul, limited access to justice for women. Many women are unable to use the formal justice system because cultural norms preclude their engagement with male officials. During the year only 257 of 2,029, or 13 percent, of judges were women, a slight increase from 2018. The formal justice system is stronger in urban centers, closer to the central government, and weaker in rural areas. In rural areas lacking physical space for judges or prosecutors to operate and adequate security protection,...more