Tag: Human rights
The legitimacy of the EU referendum requires that citizens are informed of the implications of their decision
The campaign over whether to leave the EU or remain a member has predictably focused on matters such as immigration and the economy. However, at stake at the referendum later this year are a set of rights that UK citizens have accrued by virtue of their EU citizenship. Here, Katie Boyle argues that the democratic […]
Attempts to dissuade potential migrants from coming to the UK are ineffective gimmickry
The UK has been criticised for its anti-humanitarian stance when it comes to the migrants camp in Calais, where conditions are appallingly bad. Defenders of the migrants point to the horrendous conditions from which many of them have fled, yet the Government’s rhetoric has been unfailingly caustic. However, the attempts – fences and security cameras […]
A new constitutional settlement for the UK would be the most fitting Magna Carta celebration
On the day of the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, Andrew Blick argues that, in the realm of constitutional matters, we need to look forward as much as backward. Similar PostsAn independent Scotland may find it impossible to pursue a more liberal immigration policyUnfinished devolution has created constitutional imbalances in the UKTo appreciate the […]
Book Review: Digital Humanitarians: How Big Data is changing the face of humanitarian response
The overflow of information generated during disasters can be as paralysing to humanitarian response as the lack of information. This flash flood of information is often referred to as Big Data, or Big Crisis Data. Making sense of Big Crisis Data is proving to be an impossible challenge for traditional humanitarian organisations, which is why […]
Federalism could be the only means of resolving some of the UK constitution’s fundamental difficultiies
The Queen’s Speech saw the incoming majority Conservative government propose a number of laws with constitutional implications, including the Scotland Bill, the repeal of the Human Rights Act, and the introduction of some variant of “English Votes for English Laws”. Andrew Blick argues that given this range of issues, federalism may be the only holistic […]
The EU’s plan to sink people smugglers’ ships doubles down on a failed agenda
There has been a great deal of controversy of late regarding the EU’s action – or lack thereof – on the issue of migrants boats coming from northern Africa through the Mediterranean. Rosa Freedman argues that their latest proposal to enable military action against the boats is unjustifiable and won’t solve a problem with far […]
Irregular migration in the Mediterranean: four key principles for solving the crisis
With over 1,000 migrants in the Mediterranean feared dead following a series of incidents in recent weeks, EU Foreign and Interior Ministers agreed on an action plan on 20 April for addressing the crisis. Anna Triandafyllidou writes on the key elements underpinning the problem and outlines four key elements that a new strategic approach should […]
Since the Snowden revelations, more people have joined the discussion on digital rights, but change requires more than conversation
In recent years, the Snowden revelations and debates in the UK and US around the scope of government surveillance have brought the issue of privacy in the digital age a greater audience than ever before. Hanane Boujemi argues that society must change its attitude to where boundaries lie if rights are to be meaningfully protected in […]
Book Review: Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions since World War II, Updated Edition, by William Blum
William Blum aims to provide a comprehensive account of America’s covert and overt military actions in the world, all the way from China in the 1940s to the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and – in this updated edition – beyond, with obvious democratic and human rights implications. Julia Muravska is disappointed by some shallow characterisations and […]
Western states are still too scared to mount a serious defence of the rights of migrants
December 18 2014 was International Migrants Day, marking 24 years since the UN General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. It should make us pause and think about the many migrants, particularly irregular ones, who live among us, argues Rosa Freedman. Similar […]
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