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Category: Global Law

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DSK: A Tale of Two Criminal Procedures

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

The following is a guest post by Nicole Atwill, Senior Foreign Law Specialist in the Global Legal Research Center. I recently watched Dominique Strauss Kahn’s return to France on the French news as I vacationed there.  There was nonstop live television coverage during the day.  Many commentators pointed out that although Dominique Strauss Kahn (“DSK”) …

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Writing Laws in Plain English in New Zealand

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

Last week Cynthia talked about International Plain Language Day and the global movement to improve the use of plain language in government and legal writing.  This week, as a follow-up to International Plain Language Day, I would like to take a look at New Zealand‘s approach to using plain English in the country’s laws.  I became familiar …

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Professor Joseph Raz – Pic of the Week

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

This week the Law Library of Congress hosted Professor Joseph Raz who delivered a very thought-provoking lecture for the second Kellogg Biennial Lecture in Jurisprudence.  Professor Raz is a leading proponent of legal positivism, which looks to the sources of laws as the basis for their validity, rather than their content.  During the lecture, he offered …

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The Rugby World Cup: Regulating the Party

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

The 2011 Rugby World Cup kicked off in New Zealand on September 9th with a glittering opening ceremony followed by the first match between New Zealand and Tonga.  (Note that the New Zealand national rugby team is commonly called the “All Blacks.”)  I’ve had a couple of very busy weekends watching a number of the …

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18th Annual GLIN Directors’ Meeting – Pic of the Week

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

The following is a guest post by Francisco Macías, Senior Legal Information Analyst. The 18th Annual Global Legal Information Network (GLIN) Directors’ Meeting took place at the Library of Congress last week on September 7 and 8.  The representatives from the 24 jurisdictions (including the United States) that attended the meeting are pictured below. The …

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Happy Feet Goes Home

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

When I last wrote about Happy Feet (the intrepid emperor penguin who took an extended vacation in New Zealand while recovering from a very long swim and a belly full of sand and twigs), he was being pampered at the Wellington Zoo while fans from around the world watched and waited to see what would …

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An Interview with Hashmat Nadirpor, Summer Law Intern

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

This week’s interview is with Hashmat Nadirpor, a summer intern in the Global Legal Research Center. Describe your background. I am from Afghanistan and live in Kabul, the capital – an overcrowded city in the eastern part of the country. I also lived a part of my life in the north and central parts of …

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Discovering the Constitution of Cadiz

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

The following is a guest post by Ángel García, a summer intern in the Law Library’s Global Legal Research Center. March 19, 2012, will be the 200th anniversary of the Constitution of Cádiz.  Seizing on the opportunity while interning at the Law Library of Congress, I asked the rare book technician, Nathan Dorn, to find …

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The Inspiring Story of Nelson Mandela

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

Today, July 18, is Nelson Mandela’s 93rd birthday and the second annual Nelson Mandela International Day.  This day was officially observed for the first time last year following the adoption of a resolution by the U.N. General Assembly on November 10, 2009.  The resolution acknowledged “Nelson Mandela’s contribution to the struggle for democracy internationally and …