With the Supreme Court of Mexico decriminalising abortion nationwide on 6 September 2023, Latin America continues to spearhead the movement for liberalising abortion laws. Each country in Latin America has different enforcement mechanisms for abortion laws. Some countries have allowed abortion only under certain circumstances e.g., in case of rape or when there is a health risk to the mother while some allow abortion up until a certain term of pregnancy; with a few banning it under all circumstances.

Most recently, South Africa has instituted proceedings in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel, accusing it of violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, in relation to its military operations against the Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Public assemblies play a crucial role in holding the authorities accountable and to voice demands on issues that matter.

The concept of affirmative action, also known as positive discrimination encompasses a range of policies and practices implemented by the government or other organisations to address the inadequate representation of specific groups of people.

In order to get intellectual property (IP) protection, a product ought to be a creation of mind. In this regard, at times, a product must also fulfil other criteria, such as novelty, utility, originality etc based on the kind or manner of IP protection.

In view of the end of 2023, the write-up compiles certain landmark decisions that were handed down by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh last year.

Social safety net programmes to protect the vulnerable population are not a new concept. However, in the context of Bangladesh, the Universal Pension Management Act 2023 is quite a novel (and laudable) initiative. In this write-up, we will focus on the important aspects of the Act as well as compare it with the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) multi-tier pension model.

2023 was a year filled with new legislation. A total of 50 new laws were enacted by the parliament on a wide range of areas. Law making in 2023 was by and large characterised by a reform spirit (i.e., reforming old laws), devising welfare schemes, and defining new offences. Few notable ones are discussed in this piece.

In 2022, one of the most concerning impacts of noise pollution was witnessed when a four-month-old child succumbed to death amid excessive noise of fireworks during new year-eve celebrations.

Taking a loan with the intention of repaying through installments as per the loan agreement is an integral part of modern economy.

Gender appears to be a hackneyed topic in our country. If not, it is a ghost that necessitates fighting when it comes in conflict with our so-called social and religious values.

Recently, the parliament has repealed the Family Courts Ordinance 1985 and passed a new Act, namely the Family Courts Act 2023 (FCA).

Mohammad Towhidul Islam is a Professor of Law at the University of Dhaka. He received his PhD in intellectual property from the Macquarie University, Australia.

Law & Our Rights, The Daily Star recognised the top three writers of the International Human Rights Day Write-up Competition 2023 on 10 December 2023 at The Daily Star centre. The flagship competition has been organised since 2017 by the page.

In today’s world, business enterprises have the potential to positively impact millions of lives around the world.

Despite its overwhelming presence across many aspects of our lives, there is no widely accepted definition of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Environmental or climate refugees mean people forced to flee their homes and communities due to long-term or sudden environmental calamities, such as drought, erosion, desertification, sea level rise, etc.

In academia, plagiarism— the act of borrowing someone else’s work without giving due credit is treated as an offence— almost as a mortal sin.

Remember when computer was simply a tool to help humans be more productive? Those quaint days are gone. Now, machines powered by artificial intelligence (AI) actively create -  art works, literature, and music that display imagination and inspiration comparable to humans.

This week Your Advocate is Barrister Omar Khan Joy, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh. He is the head of the chambers of a renowned law firm, namely, ‘Legal Counsel’, which has expertise mainly in commercial law, family law, labour law, land law, constitutional law, criminal law, and IPR.