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An Interview with Elizabeth Boomer, Legal Research Analyst

Posted by: Ruth Levush

Today’s interview is with Elizabeth Boomer, a legal research analyst in the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress. Describe your background. I was born in Kansas and grew up in a small university town in Illinois, home of Western Illinois University. As a teenager, I couldn’t wait to move to the “big city,” but I …

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Most Viewed Law Library Foreign Law Reports of 2018

Posted by: Ruth Levush

The In Custodia Legis team has developed a tradition of looking back and reporting on those foreign law reports published that year on the Law Library of Congress website. Our team members also routinely review and report on the most viewed foreign law reports, Global Legal Monitor articles, and In Custodia Legis posts during the passed …

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Israeli Law on “Forced Fatherhood”

Posted by: Ruth Levush

Many have written about the importance of parental love for a child’s emotional development. But what happens when a father resents fatherhood? As I am not a psychologist, I will not address the mental health implications of such sad circumstances for the child or for the father. Rejection of paternity, however, raises a serious legal …

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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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Releasing Agunot from the Chains of Marriage in Selected Countries

Posted by: Ruth Levush

Last week I blogged about Israeli legislative and judicial efforts to assist Jewish women who cannot divorce their husbands (עגונות, agunot,  literally “chained”; עגונה, agunah in singular). In accordance with Jewish law, which applies to matters of marriage and divorce of Jewish residents and citizens of Israel, a valid divorce requires the consensual delivery by the husband and receipt …

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Elor Azaria and Alexander Blackman: Adjudication of Unlawful Military Shootings

Posted by: Ruth Levush

What impact do prolonged periods of stress and fear have on a soldier’s behavior? Do the horrors of war and terrorist acts justify conduct that would otherwise be unlawful? While such circumstances do not seem to amount to justification for violating the law, it is notable that “exceptional stressors” and constant threats faced by soldiers were recently considered …