Domestic Courts

Page 1 of 5

Filter category

Feature post image

A Reckoning in the Emperor’s Court: Jamaica’s Reparations Petition to the Privy Council

On 7 September 2026, Jamaica, which remains a Commonwealth Country with King Charles III as its head of state, will formally present a petition to the King with three questions about the legality of transatlantic chattel slavery and the UK’s responsibility to make reparations. Jamaica's petition is part of a decade-long coordinated campaign of Caribbean (CARICOM) countries to seek reparations for slavery. It comes amidst increasing momentum for a wider international movement seeking to establish transatlantic chattel slavery as a wrong for which redress is owed as a matter of international law. Jamaica's Prime Minister has called the move a "watershed moment for CARICOM and the broader global movement for reparatory justice."…

Read more

Ensuring Accountability and Remedy for Victims of Mercenarism: Colombia at an Inflection Point

In March 2026, the Colombian Parliament and then-President Petro agreed to accede to the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries (International Convention). With the deposit of the accession instruments, Colombia will end a multi-year gap in the Convention’s adoption and become its 39th State party. This move represents a significant…

Read more

Location, Location, Location: The UK Supreme Court’s Judgment in Shehabi v. Bahrain

In August 2022, I co-authored a post on the English case of Al-Masarir v. Saudi Arabia [2022] EWHC 2199, where Knowles J held that Saudi Arabia had no immunity under Section 5 of the UK State Immunity Act 1978 (‘UK SIA’) for its use of Pegasus spyware to hack the devices of Mr Al-Masarir,…

Read more

The Spanish Supreme Court on Rejection at the Borders of Ceuta and Melilla: What About Human Rights at Sea?

Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish Autonomous Cities located on the northern coast of Africa and bordering Morocco. They occupy a singular position within the European legal order. They simultaneously constitute the external borders of Spain, the European Union, and the Schengen Area, making them the only land frontiers between Europe and Africa. For decades, these borders have been…

Read more

Substantive Implications of the Duty of Vigilance Ruling Against TotalEnergies

In its 25 June 2026 judgment in NAAT et al. v. TotalEnergies, the Paris Judicial Court ordered TotalEnergies to update its vigilance plan within six months to address climate-related risks arising from its Scope 3 emissions—emissions from the combustion of its oil and gas which account for around 90% of its carbon footprint—and to include…

Read more