The Arctic Ocean stands at the threshold of significant changes. Climate change and the melting of ice have a potential impact on vulnerable ecosystems, the livelihoods of local inhabitants and indigenous communities, and the potential exploitation of natural resources. (Ilulissat Declaration, 2008, …

Since 14 May 2010 Fidesz and KDNP form the Hungarian Parliament. Together, they gained 263 seats: a two-third majority. Viktor Orbán, who leads Fidesz, became the Prime Minister of Hungary. Orbán and his large majority triggered a so called 'national revolution'. Several controversial bills have been …

A refugee is a person who, for reasons of persecution (or fear hereto), is forced to leave his home and is outside of his home country. Although the great majority of the world's refugees find themselves in third world countries, also wealthier countries are dealing with considerable numbers of migrants …

The South Caucasus compromises the states of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is a volatile region, distressed by ethno political conflicts which erupted after the fall of the powerful USSR. Free from Russian domination, the peoples of the South Caucasus - Armenians, Azerbaijanis and Georgians - started …

The aim of this report is to determine whether there exists a difference in the public access to justice between several member states of the European Union. The report examines the judicial structures of three member states, along with the circumstances surrounding the access to the courts. A case study …

This research report describes which legal instruments play a role in cases concerning international child abduction with a focus on, the most important legal text, the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, hereinafter the Hague Convention or HCCA. The purpose of this …

After decades of rejection of direct applicability of Article 11 ICESCR, recognizing among other things the human right to food including water, a District Court in the Netherlands ruled in June 2008 that the provision can be invoked in a court of law. The decision was inspired by a presumed change of …

This paper reviews how economic modelling provides a deeper understanding of drug markets. The exercise focuses on ‘soft drugs’ (cannabinoids) in the Netherlands and outlines the effects of prohibition and legalisation. The purpose is to present an overview of analytical tools to non-economists. Based …

Throughout the years women in most countries were granted the same political rights as men. Namely, the right to vote and the right to stand for election. However, this did not automatically lead to equal participation in political decision making. It is remarkable to see that this, even though women …

In this book and elsewhere Dutch courts are portrayed as little short of barbaric for rejecting direct applicability of the human right to food. In this contribution I want to revisit case law asking the question if the rejection of direct applicability of the right to food implies that in the Netherlands …