Extending human and civic rights
This May be Tory feminism: The second woman PM is not Margaret Thatcher Mark II
As the second Conservative Prime Minister, it is hardly surprising that Theresa May is being compared to Margaret Thatcher. But Julie Gottlieb writes tracing the political ancestry on the basis of their common gender is misleading. In particular, she highlights May does not share Thatcher’s apparent rancour for feminism, and argues that we could be on the […]
The use of EU Citizens as bargaining chips may be in violation of European human rights law
Leaving the EU will not exempt the UK from its responsibilities under the European Convention on Human Rights. Virginia Mantouvalou illustrates how the refusal of Theresa May and others to guarantee the rights of EU citizens following the vote in favour of Brexit could be in violation of European law, and writes that although the new Prime […]
Book Review: Politics against Domination by Ian Shapiro
In Politics against Domination, Ian Shapiro proposes non-domination as the guiding value for justice, argues that it is best supported by democracy and speculates about measures to realise it across borders. Shapiro evidences his insight and wisdom as a renowned political theorist in this account, but the work may not fully convince those who view non-domination […]
After the tragic death of Jo Cox, it is clear that our MPs require and deserve more protection
The Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered on Thursday while attending on her regular constituency surgeries. Here, David Lowe argues that our MPs deserve and require more security than they currently enjoy, if these tragic events are to be avoided in future. Similar PostsThe curious case of Britain First: wildly popular on Facebook, but a […]
Lawful residence rather than the possession of a particular passport should generate the right to vote
In this post Dr. Heather Green, Senior Lecturer, considers the law setting the franchise for the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union, which takes place on 23 June of this year. She argues that lawful residence should determine the right to vote, rather than the possession of a UK passport. Similar PostsWhat […]
Do international human rights mechanisms help women?
Women’s rights are championed at the level of international institutions such as the United Nations – yet human rights treaties and mechanisms still struggle to affect change in certain contexts. Jennifer Thomson asks why this is in her recent Politics article. Similar PostsBook Review | Contentious Rituals: Parading the Nation in Northern Ireland by Jonathan S. […]
Laws born out of trauma: in defence of the EU’s conception of human rights
With both the EU and human rights demonised in public discourse, Catherine Dupré sets out to redeem the concepts from their critics. She argues that the EU’s conception of human rights, as codified in its Charter of Fundamental Rights, defines a set of absolute rights borne out of wartime trauma and transcending the limitations of a conception of […]
Book Review: What Works: Gender Equality By Design by Iris Bohnet
How might we tackle institutionalised gender inequalities? In What Works: Gender Equality by Design, Iris Bohnet advocates systemic interventions focused on de-biasing environments rather than individuals. Employing a behavioural design approach, the book serves both as a clear indication of where we currently stand and a guide as to how, institution by institution, we can nudge ourselves […]
Swamped by facts, voters are still going into the EU referendum with an information deficit
The best feature of referendums can be the ability to expand public knowledge and bring new groups or issues into the public sphere. But Andrew Glencross writes there is a very real danger that the current debate is not enhancing citizens’ understanding of the costs and constraints of EU membership. He argues if this referendum is to have […]
Theresa May’s case for withdrawal from the ECHR: Politically astute, legally dubious, constitutionally naïve
Theresa May belongs to the Remain camp, yet favours leaving the ECHR. Mark Elliott analyses the arguments she has put forward to justify this position, and writes that although May’s position might be politically savvy, it turns upon legally specious distinctions between the EU and ECHR legal regimes, and is ultimately undermined by its constitutional naivety. […]
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