The following is a guest post by my colleague, Theresa Papademetriou, who is the Law Library of Congress Senior Foreign Law Specialist for the European Union, Greece, and Cyprus. Theresa’s blog post highlights Greece’s efforts to address the country’s economic challenges by, among other actions, tackling a common problem of “unreporting” or under-reporting of taxable revenues by providers of goods and services. Last month, …
Israeli voters are going to the polls today (January 22, 2013) to cast their ballots for the 19th Knesset (Israel’s parliament). Unlike in the U.S., where after the ballots are counted the presidential winner can go ahead with selecting his cabinet, the winner of the Israeli elections is not necessarily going to head the upcoming …
Over a year ago I visited a remarkable country. Rich in history, art, culture and beautiful landscapes, this country has traditionally received foreign aid due to its general low income level but is now providing aid to other countries. I was amazed to see its recent monumental progress in science and technology although it is true …
In May I had a great opportunity to learn firsthand about the most current issues on Israel’s legislative agenda by attending the 12th Annual Conference of the Israel Bar Association. The conference took place in Eilat, a city located at the shore of the Red Sea, near Israel’s borders with both Egypt and Jordan. The …
A colleague recently drew my attention to the proposition that “in the United States, the specter of class-action lawsuits imposes a higher level of precaution on the part of drug makers.” This statement was made in a newspaper article that discussed the scandal that erupted in France in connection with the prescription drug Mediator, which was …
The recent release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit has forced Israelis to reflect again on the cost of releasing kidnapped soldiers. Shalit was abducted by the military wing of Hamas from inside Israel’s borders in June 2006 and had been held captive for over five years. Israel agreed to release 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the …
On October 5, 2011, the Law Library of Congress (LLC) had the honor of hosting a lecture by Professor Joseph Raz, one of the leading scholars on legal and political philosophy. Professor Raz delivered the second Frederic R. and Molly S. Kellogg Biennial Lecture in Jurisprudence. The first inaugural Kellogg lecture in 2009 featured Professor …
Next week, on October 5, 2011, the Law Library will host Professor Joseph Raz for an afternoon of great legal scholarship. Professor Raz – internationally recognized as an expert in the field of jurisprudence – will deliver a lecture titled “Sovereignty & Legitimacy: On the Changing Face of Law-Questions and Speculations” as the second Frederic …
In my recent last post I discussed the social protests in Israel and Israel’s balanced budget legislation. Although a popular protest, it was undoubtedly controversial. Some question whether the protesters’ call for “social justice” is directed at the middle class instead of promoting the interests of the “weaker populations,” especially those residing outside of metropolitan …
