Democracy & Rule of Law
Rule of Law
941 Articles

I Helped Write the Exec Order on Public Reporting of Lethal Operations. Here’s What Trump Has Undone.
"Multiple press accounts have cited some of the key problems with the rescission, the backlash from transparency advocates, and why, unsurprisingly, the Trump administration has…

Trump’s Revocation of Reporting on Lethal Strikes: All Eyes on Congress, Now
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order revoking a section of President Barack Obama’s Executive Order on civilian casualties that required annual reporting…

The Ripening: The House Judiciary Committee Investigation Will Bear Fruit
The House Judiciary Committee sent out document requests to 81 parties associated with President Donald Trump in its wide-ranging investigation into “allegations of corruption,…

Colombian President’s Veto Threat Challenges Peace Process
Colombian President Ivan Duque is threatening to veto legislation that would endorse and regulate a special tribunal established to address atrocities committed during the country’s…

ICC Judge Schmitt Counsels Resilience to Preserve International Justice
Editor’s note: At a difficult time for the International Criminal Court (ICC)—criticism over recent rulings, resistance from current and prospective members, and threats from…

The Dangers of Democratic Republic of Congo’s Post-Election Dispute
The announced results of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Dec. 30 presidential elections have thrown the country into confusion. Precedents elsewhere on the continent show…

U.S. Congress Should Stop Security Assistance to Guatemala Until Rule of Law is Restored
As a former Appeal’s Court judge in Guatemala, I am deeply concerned about the rapidly escalating constitutional crisis that threatens recent progress to establish the rule of…

Attorney General Nominee Barr on Transparency: A Direct Answer? Or Misdirection?
In his written opening statement for his confirmation hearing as attorney general, William Barr says his goal is "to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law."…

In 2019, Will the Global March of Authoritarianism Turn Into a Stampede … or a Slog?
The global march of authoritarianism is off to a vigorous start this year. And if 2018 and the impending milestones of 2019 are any indication, the standoff between democracy and…

Not Mere “Process Crimes,” False Statements Prosecutions Are Serious
In case you haven’t noticed, Special Counsel Robert Mueller takes lying very seriously. And, as we witnessed during Michael Flynn’s dramatic sentencing hearing, apparently…

U.S. Air Strike Data from Afghanistan Takes Step Back in Transparency
The U.S. military has stopped publishing important information on its air war in Afghanistan, just two months after deciding to release it. In October, the U.S. began publishing…

Protesters in Hungary Call Out Labor Rights – and Rule of Law
“All I want for Xmas is demokracia [democracy],” says one protest sign seen in Budapest, Hungary, over the past several days, as up to 15,000 people took to the streets. They…