An overview of the Council of the European Union, including its powers and figurations, and especially an explanation of the Rotating Presidency whereby each EU member country holds the presidency of the council for a six month period.
Our interview series on In Custodia Legis started almost nine years ago with an interview of the then-Law Librarian of Congress, Roberta Shaffer. We are now approaching 300 interviews. Today’s interview with Elin marks a first: it is the first time we have completed a follow-up interview. Elin was originally interviewed in 2011 when she […]
This Sunday, May 5, 2019, the Council of Europe (not to be confused with the European Union, the European Council, or the Council of the European Union) celebrates 70 years of existence. On May 5, 1949, representatives from Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom met in London and […]
Can you tell us about you and about your career path leading to your current role(s)? I came to the Library of Congress in November of 2014, when I began as the Chief of the Humanities and Social Sciences Division. I assumed the position of Law Librarian of Congress in February of 2017, and also […]
Today, December 6, marks Independence Day in Finland. Although Finland is known as “the land of a thousand lakes,” it is also the most heavily-forested country in Europe. Around 72% of Finland’s land area is covered by forests, whereas 10% of the country is covered by lakes. With 60% of Finnish forests being classified as privately-owned forests, it […]
Today’s interview is with Felicia Stephan, a foreign law intern working with Jenny Gesley on research related to the laws of Germany and other German-speaking jurisdictions at the Global Legal Research Directorate, Law Library of Congress. Describe your background. I am originally from Tübingen, a small town in the south of Germany, where I grew up with […]
The following is a guest post by Elin Hofverberg, who covers Scandinavian jurisdictions at the Law Library of Congress. Elin’s previous posts include Finland: 100 Years of Independence – Global Legal Collection Highlights, Alfred Nobel’s Will: A Legal Document that Might Have Changed the World and a Man’s Legacy, Swedish Detention Order Regarding Julian Assange, The Masquerade King and […]
A couple of years ago, I attended two separate marriage ceremonies for the same couple. The couple, now happily married, consisted of a Jewish American-Israeli dual national and a British national of Indian Hindu descent. The Hindu wedding that took place in the United Kingdom was fascinating for me; it being the first, and so far […]
The following is a guest post by Elin Hofverberg, a foreign law research consultant covering Scandinavian jurisdictions at the Law Library of Congress. Elin is a frequent contributor to In Custodia Legis on diverse topics, including The Masquerade King and the Regulation of Dancing in Sweden, The Trade Embargo Behind the Swedish Jokkmokk Sami Market, 250 Years of Press […]
We recently published a report that surveys laws criminalizing blasphemy, defaming religion, harming religious feelings and other similar acts in seventy-seven jurisdictions around the world. The report includes a map showing the different regions of the world covered in the report. Reports such as this one, which survey a geographically, economically, and politically diverse group of countries, […]