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Category: Global Law

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Engagement under Japanese Law and Imperial House Rules

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

The following is a guest post by Sayuri Umeda, a foreign law specialist who covers Japan and various other countries in East and Southeast Asia. Sayuri has previously written posts for In Custodia Legis on various topics, including Is the Sound of Children Actually Noise?, How to Boost your Medal Count in the Olympics, South Korean-Style, Two Koreas Separated by Demilitarized Zone, English Translations of Post-World War …

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Personal Data Protection and the EU GDPR

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Everyone is talking about the European Union‘s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which takes effect today. Recent news reports about misuse of personal data suggest that rules to protect personal data are essential in today’s interconnected (online) world. But what is the GDPR exactly? And why should you care about an EU law if …

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Happy Europe Day 2018!

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Each year on May 9, the European Union (EU) celebrates “Europe Day.” That date marks the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration delivered in Paris in 1950 by Robert Schuman, a lawyer and the then-French foreign minister. In that declaration, Schuman set out his vision of cooperation between the European countries to ensure lasting peace on the continent. …

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The “Lieber Code” – the First Modern Codification of the Laws of War

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

On April 24, 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued “General Orders No. 100: Instructions for the Government of the Armies of the United States in the Field,” commonly known as the “Lieber Code” after its main author Francis (Franz) Lieber. The Lieber Code set out rules of conduct during hostilities for Union soldiers throughout the U.S. Civil …

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Family Voting as a Solution to Low Fertility? Experiences from France and Germany

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

The following is a guest post by Johannes Jäger, a foreign law intern working in the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress. I recently read an op-ed in the New York Times in which the author passionately advocated for the introduction of “Demeny voting” in the United States. The concept behind this term, named after the demographer …

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Silent Public Holidays in Germany

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Today, March 30, 2018, is Good Friday, a day on which Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Good Friday is an official public holiday in Germany; however it is also one of the “silent public holidays.” Other days on which a silent public holiday is observed include All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, and …

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Uber at the ECJ – The Legal Saga in Europe Continues

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

The following is a guest post by Catharina Schmidt, a foreign law intern working in the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress. While Uber recently achieved partial success in the legal fight over a key component for operating driverless cars in the United States, it suffered a defeat at the European Court of Justice …

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Is the Sound of Children Actually Noise?

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

This post is coauthored by Jenny Gesley and Sayuri Umeda, foreign law specialists at the Global Legal Research Center. At some point or another, all of us have been exposed to children’s noise, be it as a parent or a neighbor, at the playground or at a school. And did we not wish for the noise …