Top of page

Category: In the News

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

FALQ’s: The Legalization of Cannabis in Canada

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

The following is a guest post by Sarah Ettedgui, from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, who worked as foreign law intern this past summer with foreign law specialist Nicolas Boring at the Global Legal Research Directorate, Law Library of Congress. This blog post is part of our Frequently Asked Legal Questions series. On Wednesday, October 17, 2018, Canada’s first legal marijuana dispensaries opened their doors …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Happy Birthday European Union!

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

On November 1, 1993, the “Treaty on European Union” (Maastricht Treaty) entered into force, marking “…a new stage in the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe”. The Maastricht Treaty officially established the European Union (EU), but the journey to its establishment began as early as 1957 with the signing of the Rome Treaties. …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Disciplining Judges for “Bad Tweets”

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 Engagement under Japanese Law and Imperial House Rules, Is the Sound of Children Actually Noise?, How to Boost your Medal Count in the Olympics, South Korean-Style, Two Koreas Separated …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

World Tourism Day and Air Passenger Rights

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

On September 27, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) annually celebrates World Tourism Day. The UNWTO is a UN specialized agency “responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.” One of its goals is to “advocate[e] the value of tourism as a driver of socioeconomic growth and development.” I personally enjoy travelling …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

The Protection of Minority and Regional Languages in Germany

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Moin (“hello” in Low German)! Today, September 26, 2018, is the European Day of Languages. The European Day of Languages celebrates “linguistic diversity in Europe and promote[s] language learning.” In 2001, the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe (CoE) jointly organized the European Year of Languages, which turned out to be so successful that …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

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 …