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Category: Global Law

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The Black Diamond – Pic of the Week

Posted by: Andrew Weber

Those of us who work at the Library of Congress tend to love libraries.  When traveling, it is fun to explore new library spaces. I recently had the opportunity to visit The Black Diamond, an extension of The Royal Danish Library.  It is an iconic library building on the waterfront in Copenhagen, Denmark. If you …

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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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FALQs: The Swedish Budget Process

Posted by: Ruth Levush

This blog post is part of our Frequently Asked Legal Questions series. Introduction Yesterday, April 16, the Swedish finance minister supplied the Swedish Parliament with a 2019 budget proposal, known as the spring fiscal bill. The delivery of the spring fiscal bill to the Parliament marks the beginning of the 2019 budget process, culminating in a budget to …

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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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Law Library of Congress Report Examines Parliamentary Oversight in Eight Countries

Posted by: Ruth Levush

A 2017 report by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Parliamentary Oversight: Parliament’s Power to Hold Government to Account, states that parliamentary oversight of governmental actions is one of the three core functions of a parliament, in addition to legislating (especially passage of the annual budget) and the representation of constituents. The report recognized that holding governments to …

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Parliamentary Petitions Move Online in Australia and New Zealand

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

I recently saw a tweet from the Twitter account of the New Zealand Parliament regarding the launch of an electronic petitions system. I’m not sure if the Australian House of Representatives social media people also read that tweet, but the next day I saw its account had sent a tweet reminding people that a new e-petition platform had …

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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 …