Restrictions on Liberty in the United Kingdom During COVID-19
The measures taken in the U.K. to respond to the pandemic have been described as “almost certainly the most severe restrictions on liberty ever imposed.”

The measures taken in the U.K. to respond to the pandemic have been described as “almost certainly the most severe restrictions on liberty ever imposed.”
The negotiation of difference and its implications for freedoms and entitlements is the central legitimacy challenge in modern democracies.
While the mandatory isolation orders are quite broad, there are concerns about the effectiveness of the quarantine.
Kenya’s government has acted to address the pandemic through a number of measures that have also significantly curtailed constitutionally guaranteed rights.
By Alicia Ely Yamin and Ole F. Norheim Scholarly and official statements and publications regarding human rights during the current pandemic have largely reiterated the important lessons learned from HIV/AIDS, Zika and Ebola, such as: engagement with affected communities; combatting stigma and discrimination; ensuring access for the most vulnerable; accounting for gendered effects; and limiting…
This is the abstract of a paper by Alicia Ely Yamin. You can read the full paper in the Journal of Human Rights Practice here. By Alicia Ely Yamin Abstract Like other contributors to this special issue and beyond, I believe we are at a critical inflection point in human rights and need to re-energize our…
Philip C. Marshal is an elder justice advocate and founder of Beyond Brooke. The remarks below were prepared for Our Aging Brains: Decision-making, Fraud, and Undue Influence, part of the Project on Law and Applied Neuroscience at Harvard Law School; April 27, 2018. The complete version of Decision-making, fraud, and undue influence—illustrated through the lens…
The recent bill in Iceland that would make nonmedical infant circumcision for boys a crime reminds me once again how international human rights standards are still ambiguous with regard to balancing the right of the child with the right of the religious parent. The bill, already sponsored by at least a quarter of Iceland’s doctors…
By Aobo Dong According to Vardit Ravitsky’s paper on “Shifting Landscape of Prenatal Testing,” there exist two competing rationales for prenatal screenings for severe disabling conditions like Down syndrome. The “reproductive-autonomy” rationale justifies screening by invoking a woman’s individual autonomy. In contrast, the “public health rationale” justifies pre-natal screening and termination due to a Down…
The philosopher in me understands that there are universal principles in logic, mathematics, and in basic scientific tenets such as the law of gravity. Be that as it may, the historian in me recognizes that we inherit epistemologies and ways of thinking from those before us, and from our own historical and cultural contexts. Certain…