The Scottish EU Citizenship Limbo

As Brexit wraps up, Scotland leaves the EU against its peoples’ will.[1] Implicitly, the EU decided that continuing to recognize Scots as EU citizens would unlawfully disrespect British sovereignty.[2] The decision represents a remarkable (if not surprising) victory for nationalism.[3] The decision means that, when weighing the competing interests of nations and citizens, the EU … Read more

No-Deal Brexit – What Happens to the UK and its Global Neighbors?

April 12th is quickly approaching, and with it comes the growing reality of a no-deal Brexit.[1] The effects will extend far beyond the confines of the U.K. An estimate from the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research Halle (IWH) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Witternberg in Germany predicts that 612,000 people, in 43 countries, will be impacted … Read more

Legalization of soft-drugs: views from the U.S. and Italy

On June 14, 2017, legal experts from the US and Italy gathered at the Law School of the University of Naples “Federico II” to discuss the challenges and perspectives of soft-drugs legalization, in the context of the inaugural colloquium of the international convention set up between the nearly 800-year old Italian law school and Denver … Read more

The European Refugee Crisis: Unaccompanied Refugee and Migrant Children

The refugee and migrant influx into Europe continues. Since January 2015 approximately 1.2 million people have journeyed across the Mediterranean in an attempt to reach Europe. The majority arrive in Europe by sea, while almost 34,900 refugees and migrants arrived by land. These individuals are fleeing economic and social breakdown such as conflict, violence, and … Read more

The State of European Burqa Bans

Recent attacks in France and Germany have put the international community on alert and caused governments in those countries to draft or enforce legislation aimed at preventing future attacks. While countries in France have drafted legislation directly targeting what is believed to be symbols pertaining to Islamic extremism, Germany has chosen a more neutral approach by … Read more

EU-Turkey Agreement: What’s the Deal?

On March 8, 2016, the European Union (EU) and Turkey reached an agreement aimed at resolving the migrant crisis, which has grown exponentially over the past several years. Since the beginning of the conflict, a total of 9 million migrants, have fled war-torn areas such as Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In search of safety, most … Read more

Re-Writing History: The right to be forgotten

Scientific research suggests that the act of forgetting memories fosters a healthy state of mind. The act of forgetting may be more difficult to achieve in a world where internet companies collect and store a broad range of information about their users’ lives and daily activities. Is it fair for individuals to ask everyone else … Read more

Critical Analysis: Germany takes center stage in diplomacy

In order to reevaluate its foreign policy approach, Germany conducted a review (“Review 2014”) last year.  Review 2014 included multiple town hall meetings with German voters and debates among foreign policy experts around the world.  Even during Review 2014, voters’ and experts’ opinions and approaches changed.  Initially, the majority of German voters disagreed with the statement … Read more

Critical Analysis: Data Breaches Signify Need for Unified Data Protection Laws

If you are reading this blog post then you have access to the internet, a network that you are currently sharing with 2.4 billion other people, some of which may not have your best interests at heart. Many people use this network for daily activities, ranging from shopping to social networking. As internet users interact … Read more

Critical Analysis: The Changing Landscape of International Privacy

In the weeks and months to come, the international community will see the deployment of a number of new privacy initiatives.  The new privacy laws are likely to have been spurned by several factors including: the need to update existing laws that are nearly 20 years old; data breaches and government leaks; and the increasing … Read more