Child trafficking victims testify by video to quicken trials in India
Chennai, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation Two child trafficking victims gave evidence via video conferencing for the first time on Monday as part of an Indian judicial push to speed up slavery trials and clear a backlog of cases. Hundreds of child trafficking cases in India have stalled due to delays in hearing testimony from survivors, who […]
Botswana sets up gender violence courts to tackle pandemic backlog
Gaborone, BotswanaThomson Reuters Foundation Botswana will launch 25 gender violence courts this week following a rise in cases during the coronavirus pandemic – a measure women’s campaigners hope will bring swifter justice to victims of sexual and domestic abuse. The government of the southern African country moved to establish the courts after women’s rights advocates […]
Pakistan court orders arrests over Christian teen’s forced marriage
Karachi, PakistanThomson Reuters Foundation A Pakistani court ordered several arrests on Monday in the case of a Christian teenager who was allegedly forced to convert to Islam and marry a 44-year-old Muslim man, an incident that sparked street protests by church groups and rights activists. The high court in Sindh province – where the legal […]
Central African Republic seeks justice for rural victims of sexual violence
Bangui, Central African RepublicThomson Reuters Foundation Restoring court operations in rural parts of the war-torn Central African Republic is vital to tackling sexual violence and ensuring victims can seek justice, a top government official said, as the coronavirus pandemic fuels gender-based abuse. Rape has been widely used as a weapon of war in the country […]
Pakistani Christian sentenced to death for blasphemy
A Pakistani Christian has been sentenced to death after he was found guilty of sending “blasphemous” text messages. Asif Pervaiz, 37, has been in custody since 2013 after he was accused of sending the texts to a supervisor in the hosiery factory where he worked. He was reportedly sentenced on Tuesday by a court in […]
Malaysian court sides with forced labour victims over unpaid wages
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation An undocumented domestic worker has the right to pursue her claim for unpaid wages in Malaysia, a court has ruled, setting a legal precedent migrant rights groups said would help protect human trafficking survivors. In a landmark ruling this week, a high court in Malaysia said an Indonesian domestic worker […]
Pakistan to set up special courts to tackle violence against women
Lahore, PakistanThomson Reuters Foundation Pakistan is to set up more than 1,000 courts dedicated to tackling violence against women, the country’s top judge announced on Wednesday, seeking to tackle a problem activists say the criminal justice system has long neglected. Asif Saeed Khosa said the special courts would allow victims to speak out without fear […]
Folau launches legal action against Rugby Australia
Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Rubgy player Israel Folau launched legal proceedings against Rugby Australia over the termination of his contract on Thursday, casting the action as the pursuit of his “right to religious freedom”. Folau, a fundamentalist Christian, was sacked by Rugby Australia and his Super Rugby club New South Wales Waratahs last month for a post […]
ESSAY: THE IMPORTANCE OF JUDICIAL DISCRETION
Against the backdrop of a state election to be held this Saturday in the Australian state of Victoria, ROB STARY, of Melbourne-based criminal law firm Stary Norton Halphen, argues that measures with which restrict or remove judicial discretion are “inconsistent with the rule of law”…
Indian courts speed up justice for human trafficking survivors
Thomson Reuters Foundation A series of speedy legal orders in human trafficking cases in India has raised hopes for thousands survivors facing drawn-out court battles, but experts warn that justice remains elusive for most victims. Over the past few months, courts have handed rare life sentences to traffickers, denied bail to another person facing charges, […]