Weronika Galka

Letter of the day (in the Times)

The Legality of Statistical Proportionality Israel's practice of statistical proportionality should be considered to violate the legal duty to take feasible precautions in attacks.

The reliance by the #IDF on a rudimentary statistical model to conduct its proportionality analysis raises serious questions regarding their compliance with international humanitarian law.

Israeli human rights lawyer Alon Sapir on the shortcomings of the model and its legal implications:

www.judiciary.uk/judgments/hu...

(2/2) determined ASAP pulls against confining recourse to the POAC statutory remedy where multiple defendants prosecuted for TA offences under the order likely to challenge its legality ([46-49]).

IMO, a good example of JR’s contribution to upholding rule of law by facilitating legal certainty.

(1/2) The judgment in Ammori v SSHD is out: PA given permission to challenge proscription order in JR proceedings.

Some interesting comments on the availability of JR in “collateral attack” scenarios - Chamberlain J suggests that “strong interest” in allowing legality of a challenged order to be

The Supreme Court's decision is now out: supremecourt.uk/uploads/uksc...

Lord Sales and Lady Rose give the lead judgment and find no breach of the ECHR. Lord Leggatt dissents in relation to the outcome of the Shvidler appeal.

Really good points here, esp. on political constitutionalism/open justice interactions.

Courts’ justification for deferring on nat sec questions is that such Qs should be answered at the ballot box - during the 2024 election, the electorate was functionally deprived of an opportunity to do so.

Hah - yes! Thanks for spotting, we’re on it.

European Court of Human Rights judgment on whether UK dealt with Russian interference in UK politics - states have an obligation to take some action to address foreign interference but have a margin of discretion; UK had taken sufficient measures in Court's view - hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre-press?i=...

Big month for international law judgments, with the ICJ’s advisory opinion on climate change scheduled for July 23 hand down.

The ECtHR judgment in the Ukraine and Netherlands v Russia case has been handed down - and it’s 1600+ paras long! Russia found to have breached Arts. 2, 3, 4(2), 5, 8, 9, 10, 13 & 14, as well as Arts. 1 & 2 of Protocol 1 in respect of its actions in Ukraine.

hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre#{%22lang...

A remarkable judgment, in which the Lady Chief Justice finds that MI5 gave false evidence to three courts. I'm surprised this hasn't had more media attention - it seems quite serious to me.

www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...

This week JUSTICE's @stephneedles.bsky.social, @tyronesteele.bsky.social & @wgalka.bsky.social are at the World Justice Forum, discussing how to build resilience for the rule of law.

Grateful to have met with @lucyrigby.bsky.social, the Solicitor General, to discuss JUSTICE's work & these issues.

Attending the World Justice Forum in Warsaw on behalf of @justicehq.bsky.social this week - exciting!

Rayan Fakhoury | Not Conducive to the Public Good It would be a mistake to see the attempt to deport Mahmoud Khalil for his political views in relation to Palestine as an...

‘What begins as a state of exception often augurs a new normality. Coercive powers ceded to the state are rarely handed back, and powers exercised against those at the margins of society invariably permeate more widely.’

Rayan Fakhoury on the blog: www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/ma...

U.S. votes against U.N. resolution condemning Russia for Ukraine war Washington’s shift on the Ukraine war marks a major break with European allies and comes as the Trump administration aims to repair relations with Russia.

Breaking news: U.S. sides with Russia to vote against a U.N. resolution condemning Moscow for the Ukraine war.

Washington’s dramatic shift on the conflict marks a major break with its European allies and coincides with the Trump administration’s bid to repair relations with the Kremlin.

The four part webinar series "International Human Rights Litigation: New Frontiers and Challenges" will be launching on 18 March 2025.

This series has been organised by Professor Philip Leach and Professor Dr. Başak Çalı.

Registration and further details: ow.ly/Q66V50V040h

UK-based lawyers for Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai targeted by Chinese state Exclusive: Barristers at Doughty Street Chambers say they have been subject to surveillance, hacking and rape threats

Important story, deserving to be widely shared.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

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Erga omnes nature of human rights obligations in respect of climate change: A preliminary survey of the positions in the ICJ Climate Change advisory proceedings Amongst the many legal issues arising from the ICJ advisory proceedings in Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change, the erga omnes nature of the obligations involved has a particular sig…

Very worth-while @ejiltalk.bsky.social entry on "Erga omnes nature of human rights obligations in respect of climate change". I agree with Slovenia that aspects of the customary human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment have an erga omnes character www.ejiltalk.org/erga-omnes-n...

Flagging a resource for anyone interested in a play-by-play roundup of key security developments around the world & in the US - written by yours truly!

Judgment in Brown [2024] NIKB 109 (https://www.judiciaryni.uk/judicial-decisions/2024-nikb-109) Intro: "On 12 May 1997, Sean Brown, the chairman of Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA Club, was locking the gates to the training ground when he ambushed by loyalist paramilitaries. He was abducted, beaten, and shot six times in the head. His body was found next to his burning car the following morning in Randalstown."

The NI High Court (Humphreys J) has just granted a mandatory order compelling a public inquiry in a Troubles-related atrocity. From a public law perspective, this is extremely rare. But to all the detractors of proper investigations into our dark past, do take a moment to read this intro:

a new Hart paper! in 2024!

Next Steps to Make Work Pay (web accessible version)

Interesting! Tucked away in the government's "Make Work Pay" policy is the extension of both the Public Sector Equality Duty and Freedom of Information requirements to private sector organisations exercising public functions / delivering public contracts.

www.gov.uk/government/p...

Government pledges millions in legal aid to clear asylum backlog The justice secretary is to announce a major increase in funding for lawyers to represent migrants in asylum courts

Excl: Ministers will announce millions in extra funding for lawyers to represent asylum seekers to help clear the backlog of appeals that is blocking efforts to move migrants out of hotels:
www.thetimes.com/article/eddb...

JUSTICE intervenes in U3 Supreme Court deprivation of citizenship case - JUSTICE Wednesday 20th November, 2024 JUSTICE today intervenes in the Supreme Court case, U3 v Secretary of State for the Home Department (UKSC 2023/0145). Its intervention concerns how to ensure appeals agai...

Our whole lives are built on our citizenship rights. When someone is deprived of their citizenship without being heard from, their right to a meaningful appeal becomes a vital safeguard.

Read why JUSTICE is intervening in the U3 Supreme Court case: justice.org.uk/justice-inte...

Here are the latest developments. The court’s chief prosecutor had sought the arrests over war crimes in Gaza. The court also issued a warrant for Hamas’s military chief, Muhammad Deif, whom Israel has said it killed.

"The International Criminal Court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and the former Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza Strip."

www.nytimes.com/live/2024/11...

A very exciting out of office day today to observe hearings in the U3 case - see @justicehq.bsky.social’s submission in our intervention here: justice.org.uk/u3-v-secreta...

What a lineup of contributors to the Structural Injustice and the Law volume - and it's open access! Feels like Christmas came early.

Days, Not Weeks: Gaza, Starvation, and the Imperative to Act Now The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has sharpened third states’ obligation to use their available leverage with Israel now, writes Dannenbaum.

Professor Tom Dannenbaum (@tomdannenbaum.bsky.social) provides detailed account of the current humanitarian situation in Gaza, the war crime of starvation, and legal implications for States to use their leverage to reverse the trajectory.

www.justsecurity.org/104867/gaza-...