(Nov. 10, 2020) On September 3, 2020, the Austrian federal chancellor’s office published and introduced to the National Council (the lower house of the Austrian Parliament) a draft bill to fight hate on social media and to protect communication platform users. The Draft Federal Act on Measures to Protect Users on Communication Platforms (English translation) […]
Topic: Civil law, Crime and law enforcement, Freedom of speech, Internet, Legislative process, Social media
(Nov. 2, 2020) On July 22, 2020, a 19-year-old college student became the first person in Japan to be arrested for submitting false information and fraudulently receiving COVID-19 subsidy money intended for small- and medium-sized companies and freelancers. Later, on October 22, 2020, five people in their 20s who had taught the college student how […]
Topic: Commerce, Crime and law enforcement, Emergency management, Epidemics, Fraud and financial crimes, Infectious and parasitic diseases, Public health, Small business
(Oct. 28, 2020) In a decision of October 2, 2020, the Conseil constitutionnel (Constitutional Council), France’s high court for constitutional questions, found that the absence of judicial recourse for persons under arrest to challenge their conditions of incarceration is unconstitutional. This decision was given in response to two questions prioritaires de constitutionalité (QPC) (priority question […]
Topic: Correctional facilities and imprisonment, Criminal procedure, Detention, Human rights and civil liberties, Prisoners' rights
(Oct. 26, 2020) On October 13, 2020, the Russian Federal Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media confirmed the legality of a decree issued by the mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, requiring that, beginning October 5, 2020, all employers in the city of Moscow transfer to telework at least one-third of all employees, as […]
Topic: Administrative law and regulatory procedures, Cell phones, Communications, Data protection, Electronic surveillance, Personnel records
(Oct. 23, 2020) On October 14, 2020, an amendment to the German Criminal Code that makes upskirting a crime was published in the German Federal Law Gazette. Upskirting refers to the act of taking photos or videos under women’s clothing without permission. The amendment will enter into force on January 1, 2021. Content of the […]
Topic: Crimes against women, Criminal code, Harassment, Right of privacy, Sex offenses
(Oct. 21, 2020) The draft of new regulations aimed at helping to ensure the safe surrender of weapons whose possession was made unlawful under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 was laid before the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) Parliament on June 9, 2020. If approved, the Surrender of Offensive Weapons (Compensation) Regulations 2020 will set out arrangements […]
(Oct. 16, 2020) On September 22, 2020, the Finnish Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of Nordiska Motståndsrörelsen (NMR) (Nordic Resistance Movement), an unregistered neo-Nazi association. The Supreme Court found that the association is unlawful because its activities and stated objectives violate law and good practice. It also found that the association’s activities are not protected […]
Topic: Freedom of assembly, Freedom of speech, Hate crimes, Human rights and civil liberties, Racial and ethnic relations
(Oct. 13, 2020) On September 14, 2020, Minister of the Interior Ulrich Mäurer of the city-state of Bremen, Germany issued a decree banning the public flying or use of the German imperial war flag. Flying such a flag on private property where it is clearly intended to be and is visible to everyone is also […]
Topic: Crime and law enforcement, Crimes against the state, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of speech, Hate crimes, Police power, Protest and dissent, State and local government
(Oct. 12, 2020) On September 21, 2020, Jerusalem District Court Judge Hannah Miriam Lump declared Malka Leifer extraditable to stand trial in Australia for sex offenses she allegedly committed between 2000 and 2008 in that country. (Extradition File 23733-08-14 Israel v. Leifer, Dist. Ct. (Jerusalem), decision by Judge Hannah Miriam Lump, Sept. 21, 2020 (Decision).) […]
Topic: Crime and law enforcement, Extradition, Sex offenses
(Oct. 8, 2020) On September 14, 2020, the government published a public consultation to receive opinions about the design of its newly proposed Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs), which aim to tackle knife crime across England and Wales. The proposed SVROs would create a new stop-and-search power enabling the police to take an “intelligence based, […]
