Democracy & Rule of Law
Just Security’s expert authors provide analysis on threats and challenges to democracy and the rule of law in the United States and globally. Coverage includes analysis of the separation of powers, good governance, democratic backsliding, authoritarianism, judicial independence, freedom of the press and association, and accountability for rule of law violations.
3,393 Articles
Human Rights at Risk in the Sprint Toward AI Sovereignty
Policymakers and the private sector should work with civil society to ensure that the pursuit of “sovereign AI” does not undermine fundamental rights.
The Deeper Problem with ICE’s Arrest Warrants
DHS regulations do not ensure that ICE arrest warrants are supported by reliable probable cause findings. That failing poses significant Fourth Amendment risks.
For Lasting Stability, Venezuela Needs a Peace Process
After the U.S. capture of Maduro, rigorous national dialogue and power-sharing could help heal internal fractures, rebuild institutions, and prepare for elections.
Top Questions the Trump Administration Needs to Answer on War with Iran
What Congress, journalists, and the public should ask the Trump administration about its war in Iran.
What Hegseth’s “Supply Chain Risk” Designation of Anthropic Does and Doesn’t Mean
Abuse of a tailored national security authority to resolve an ideological dispute playing out over DoD’s desire to change its contractual terms should not be taken lightly.
“Significantly Diminished”: Commenting Anew on Article 23 of Geneva Convention IV in a Transformed Legal Context
New Commentary on GC IV describes Article 23—the treaty’s key provision governing the duty to allow the passage of essentials to civilians—as "significantly diminished" today.
The Trump Administration’s Theory of Constitutional War Powers: “The President Could Decide”
The legal memo justifying its Venezuela operations provides insight into the administration's use-of-force decisions and the factual evidence undergirding them.
International Reactions to Military Strikes on Iran: A Tipping Point for the UN Charter?
Positions taken at the UN Security Council are a harbinger of whether the legal cornerstone of the international order that is designed to maintain world peace can hold.
Toward A Just and Lawful Peace in Ukraine: Part II
As the war in Ukraine continues to unfold, international lawyers must keep insisting that law be injected into diplomacy and accountability into power politics.
What Just Happened: Tariffs Are Gone and Then Back Again
The SCOTUS decision on Trump's tariffs, and the president’s subsequent reaction, leave many questions about tariff rates and what comes next.
FBI’s “Stand Down” Directive to NYPD on Jeffrey Epstein Investigations, and More
The most comprehensive timeline to date of the publicly available record on New York law enforcement authorities’ action and inaction with regard to Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell…
Closing Loopholes Across Time: the ICRC’s New Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention
The ICRC's updated Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention fills a loophole-closing function and reasserts international humanitarian law's core protective purpose.