As Norad prepares to track Santa and his reindeer as they travel the world, I note that the movement of reindeer has been a regulated issue in the Northern countries of Europe for centuries. Ever since the nation states were created, the indigenous Sami have had to abide by national and international treaty rules governing …
November is celebrated as National American Indian Heritage Month in the United States. In addition to our guide to Indigenous Law Resources online for U.S.-centric sources on indigenous law, the Law Library also holds a number of international and foreign law resources on indigenous law in other countries. For instance, earlier this year, the Global Legal …
Two hundred thirty years ago today, on May 15, 1789, the Swedish Supreme Court was created by a royal regulation (Kongl. Maj:ts Rådige Förordnande för Des Högste Domstol eller Justitiae Revision af den 15 maj 1789). The Swedish king, Gustav III (known as the Masquerade King), abolished the Council of the Realm (Riksråd) and created …
The first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest (Eurovision) is taking place today. Eurovision is a popular product of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which is made up of the public broadcasting networks of Europe. Twenty-six countries will compete to win in the grand finale being held on Saturday, May 18, in Tel Aviv, Israel. …
This Sunday, May 5, 2019, the Council of Europe (not to be confused with the European Union, the European Council, or the Council of the European Union) celebrates 70 years of existence. On May 5, 1949, representatives from Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom met in London and …
One hundred and fifteen years ago today, on March 4, 1904, the Danish King Christian IX (the “parent-in-law of Europe”) signed a law to establish an Icelandic Law School in Reykjavik. The law was signed after Iceland gained home rule in 1904 and before it gained its independence in 1944 and can be seen as …
This upcoming Sunday, January 25, 2019, marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day to commemorate the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Right here in Washington DC, the Holocaust museum is located at 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW. In fact, there are a number of Raoul Wallenberg plazas, memorials, streets, and esplanades, around the …
December 6, 1919, was the first year Finland celebrated its Declaration of Independence with a national holiday. That same year it also adopted the Constitution of 1919 officially making Finland a Republic with K.J. Stahlberg as its first president. This post describes the Constitution of 1919.