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Category: In the News

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Slow or Just Diligent? The Tale of Germany’s “Slow Judge”

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

The case of so-called “slow judge” Thomas Schulte-Kellinghaus, a judge at the Higher Regional Court Karlsruhe (OLG Karlsruhe), Germany, has kept the courts busy since 2012. And there does not seem to be an end in sight. In 2012, he was reprimanded by the then-President of the Higher Regional Court for “not properly executing his official …

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Happy World Whisky Day!

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Tomorrow, May 18, 2019, is World Whisky Day, a day that “celebrates all types of whisky/whiskey and encourages everyone to enjoy whisky responsibly.” As a law blog, there is no better way to celebrate such a day than with a post on a whisky court case! On June 7, 2018, the European Court of Justice …

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Daylight Saving Time No More?

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

On Sunday March 10, 2019, most states in the United States “sprang forward,” meaning the clocks were set one hour forward. Most of us have by now more or less adjusted to the time change. The reason that we adjust our clocks twice a year (“springing forward” and “falling back”) in the United States can …

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Happy National Spaghetti Day!

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Today, January 4, is National Spaghetti Day. And no one appreciates pasta more than the self-proclaimed “Pastafarians,” members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM). According to their website, they believe, among others things, that “[p]irates were the original Pastafarians”, that “the Flying Spaghetti Monster created the world much as it exists today, but for …

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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 …

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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. …

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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 …

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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 …