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Anniversary of the German Basic Law

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Every year on May 23, Germany celebrates the “Day of the Basic Law.” The Basic Law, Germany’s constitution, lays down fundamental rights, establishes the structure and administration of the Federal Republic of Germany, and sets out the legal framework of the three branches of government. Furthermore, it establishes the Federal Republic of Germany as a democratic, federal, …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

New Law Library Report on Lobbying Disclosure Laws

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Working and living in Washington, DC, lobbyists are no uncommon sight. K Street, where numerous lobbying firms are traditionally located, has become a metonym for the lobbying industry in general. A “lobbyist” is defined under federal law as any individual who is employed or retained by a client for financial or other compensation for services that include more …

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Where is Blasphemy Criminalized Around the World?

Posted by: Hanibal Goitom

We recently published a report that surveys laws criminalizing blasphemy, defaming religion, harming religious feelings and other similar acts in seventy-seven jurisdictions around the world.  The report includes a map showing the different regions of the world covered in the report. Reports such as this one, which survey a geographically, economically, and politically diverse group of countries, …

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FALQs: Demonetization in India

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

The following is a guest post by Supreetha Sampath Kumar, a foreign law intern at the Law Library of Congress. This blog post is part of our Frequently Asked Legal Questions series. On November 8, 2016, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, announced the “notebandi” initiative, declaring that the use of all Rupees (Rs.) 500 and …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

150-Year Anniversary of the Adoption of the Constitution of the North German Confederation

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

The North German Confederation (Norddeutscher Bund) is generally considered the first modern German Federation. Before that time, there were 39 different sovereign states, varying in size, that were loosely associated in the German Confederation (Deutscher Bund). The North German Federation came into existence with the adoption of the Constitution of the North German Confederation by the German Reichstag …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

60-Year Anniversary of the Rome Treaties

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

On March 25, 1957 – 60 years ago tomorrow – the governments of France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed the “Treaties of Rome”, thereby establishing what would later become the European Union (EU). The “Treaties of Rome” consist of two different treaties: the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC Treaty) and the Treaty establishing the European …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Elor Azaria and Alexander Blackman: Adjudication of Unlawful Military Shootings

Posted by: Ruth Levush

What impact do prolonged periods of stress and fear have on a soldier’s behavior? Do the horrors of war and terrorist acts justify conduct that would otherwise be unlawful? While such circumstances do not seem to amount to justification for violating the law, it is notable that “exceptional stressors” and constant threats faced by soldiers were recently considered …

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An Interview with Geo Nikolov, Legal Metadata Intern

Posted by: Francisco Macías

This week’s interview is with Geo Nikolov who is working at the Law Library of Congress for several months as an intern describing and creating metadata for a collection of Hispanic Legal Documents that span from the 15th to 19th centuries. Describe your background. My background is strongest in the humanities (language, literature, and culture).  I …