Lesotho People Living with HIV have the same rights to life as others
On 25 October 2022, the High Court of Lesotho in the case of MK v Director of Public Prosecutions and Others issued a judgment on a constitutional challenge to certain sections of the Sexual Offences Act that impose mandatory HIV testing on persons accused of sexual offences, and subsequently impose a death sentence on persons convicted of sexual offences solely based on their HIV-positive status.
Cyprus- New Work – Life Balance Law 2023
The purpose of the law is to align Cyprus Law with EU Directives on work-life balance for parents and carers. The Directive, and hence the Law, lays down the minimum requirements designed and intended for achieving equality between men and women with regard to labour market opportunities and treatment at work.
Bolivia - Mother Earth Law
The Mother Earth Law is a piece of legislation that epitomizes Bolivia's dedication to sustainable development, respecting the balance between human life and the natural environment, and prioritizing the rights and knowledge of the country's majority indigenous population.
New Zealand - World’s First Law Banning Tobacco
On 13th December 2022, New Zealand, passed a law banning smoking for the lifetime of its future generations. New Zealanders born on and after 1st January 2009 cannot buy cigarettes as a part of a package of anti-smoking laws.
Luxembourg’s Integration Act
Around 47% of Luxembourg’s population are non-nationals, in addition to more than 200,000 cross-border workers who commute in the country. The share of foreigners is higher in some communes than in others, with Luxembourg City standing out with a non-national population of more than 70%.
Croatian Laws Changes in 2023
Retired workers can use part of the family pension of a deceased spouse or common-law partner in the amount of 27% of the corresponding part of the family pension for one member if : Part of the family pension can be used by another family member if other family members use it due to a complete loss of working capacity or as a child with the status of a disabled person.
Mali’s Proposed New Constitution 2023
The proposed new Constitution is a key element of the vast reform project it initiated to ensure a return to civilian rule, following an election that will be held in February 2024. A revised draft of the document was handed to the country’s transitional president, Colonel Assimi Goita. In the new draft of the constitution, the head of state, will "determine the policies of the nation, and not the government.
Korean Age System
South Koreans do not just one age, but three – an “International Age,” a “Korean Age” and a “Calendar Age”. But to end confusion, the country’s parliament has decreed that from June 2023 all official documents must use the standard “international age”.
U.S - FDA Requisites No Animal Testing – 2023
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) no longer requires new drugs to be tested on animals before being approved. The agency now has the option to approve drugs that are tested in only non-animal studies, including those that use lab-grown tissues or computer models, before being tested in clinical trials with humans. Previously, the FDA typically required drugs be tested in one rodent and one non rodent species, before they were moved into human trials. But more than 90% of drugs that pass initial animal being unsafe or ineffective in humans.
The Medicrime Convention
The Council of Europe drafted a convention which constitutes, for the first time, a binding international instrument in the criminal law field on counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health (MEDICRIME Convention).
Uzbekistan: New Constitution 2023
In Uzbekistan, constitutional referendum gained enormous support allowing the President to stay in power until 2040. The reforms also were promising to strengthen individual rights. The referendum was held in accordance with Uzbekistan Senate Resolution No. PS-702-IV of March 14, 2023. The new constitution became effective on May 1, 2023, upon official publication.
EU – first major laws on AI 2023
The European Parliament, passed the first major law draft known as the A.I. Act, a potential model for policy makers around the world, which is a major issue at stake to guard the rapid developing technology and its highly volatile uses. The main focus of this legislation is to first give an uniform definition for AI which is technology neutral and create an environment which is safe, transparent, traceable, non-discriminatory.
China Qinghai-Tibet plateau Ecosystem protection Art 2023
In April, the National People’s Congress, China’s legislative branch, passed the “Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) Ecosystem Protection Act. The QTP Act is China’s first legislative vision for the environmental protection of the Tibetan plateau and its surroundings, covering larger than the area of western Europe.
Japan: An urge to protect the rights and jobs of entertainment industry from AI
A group of artists in Japan called Arts Workers Japan is urging the government to protect their rights and activities amid the growing amount of content produced by artificial intelligence (AI). The group, which is composed of actors, musicians, and other artists, emphasized the impact of AI on artists’ activities and submitted a request to the government for necessary action.
Taiwan 2023: Expansion of Adoption Rights
Taiwan’s parliament allows gay couples to jointly adopt children, a move hailed by activists as “another big step forward” for marriage equality. Taiwan is at the vanguard of Asia’s burgeoning LGBTQ rights movement, becoming the first place in the region to legalise marriage equality in 2019.
Indiana’s Abortion Burial law
Indiana law requires abortion clinics to either bury or cremate fetal remains . The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to re-consider the multiple lawsuits challenging this law. The court gave no explanation for its decision in an order it issued turning down hearings in several dozen cases.
Bolivia’s Gold law: 2023
Bolivian senate approved the ‘Gold law’ aiming to strengthening the country’s foreign currency reserves. It is aimed at ensuring a stable economy in the pluri-national state.
Children of Austria v Austria
On February 21, 2023, a group of Austrian children filed a complaint with the Austrian Constitutional Court. The applicants alleged that the Federal Climate Protection Act (Klimaschutzgesetz 2011) is, in part, unconstitutional for violating the constitutionally guaranteed rights of children and the fundamental right to equality before the law.
Protection of Online Gamers in EU
The Parliament calls on the European Commission to analyse the way in which loot boxes are sold as well as to take the necessary steps to bring about a common European approach to ensure protection of consumers.
EU-Green Shipping Deal
The shipping industry is fully committed to eradicating its GHG emissions completely, in line with the ambitious targets agreed for the sector by its global regulator, the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) . The IMO Strategy includes a target to cut total GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 50 percent by 2050 (compared to 2008) regardless of maritime trade growth, whilst pursuing efforts towards phasing them out as soon as possible in this century.
