Rio Grande Guardian’s Post

#UPDATE2 Will Lai Qingde's pursuit of Taiwan independence be blocked by the CCP? For Xi Jinping, a referendum cannot be the legal basis for "Taiwan independence," because such a vote cannot replace the entire Chinese people in making any decision regarding changing Taiwan's legal status. Of course, the risk of "de jure Taiwan independence" still exists and this new interpretive document is fully aware of it and clearly regulates it: death penalty. The CCP's judicial interpretation highlights the existence of China's sovereignty and direct jurisdiction over Taiwan's affairs, which is a visual manifestation of the logic of unification over the national territory and trust of the national system, as well as a full support for the patriotic forces of unification and a strong institutional guarantee of cross-strait unity and peace and stability. In the CCP's logic, the "one China" principle has a sufficient basis in international law and a constitutional foundation to provide a basis of legitimacy for China's direct jurisdiction over Taiwan's affairs. In the violent Kinmen incident earlier this year, China exercised its direct jurisdiction over Taiwan's relevant maritime areas by boarding and inspecting the vessels and personnel concerned, which is -- to the CCP -- a manifestation of the new normal of governance. The same jurisprudential basis also applies to mainland China's navigation and control of Taiwan's maritime areas and airspace. In terms of territorial and personal jurisdiction of domestic criminal law, the Taiwan region and its residents will be subject to the unified jurisdiction of Chinese law. The relevant provisions of the Taiwan region and the fact of ruling power cannot counter the authority of sovereignty and the state-specific jurisdiction system. Overall, this judicial interpretation document is constitutes a real weapon of the CCP in the struggle against "Taiwan independence" "in accordance with the law" and is a manifestation of the pursuit of mainland reunification and the use of the rule of law to take control of the dominant and active role in cross-strait relations. After the issuance of judicial interpretation, it is expected that there will be relevant court cases and trials and that "Taiwan independence" elements will face severe repression in terms of political futures and legal responsibilities, thus accelerating the process of full cross-strait reunification. As for the external interventionist forces, the CCP's legal interpretation does not admit any legal justification for their involvement and submission to Chinese law, including procedural law. https://lnkd.in/dNWDFx59

WHY IS MEXICO'S JUDICIAL REFORM PLAN SO CONTROVERSIAL? MEXICO CITY - Judicial reforms championed by Mexico's outgoing president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and supported by his incoming successor have sparked diplomatic tensions with the United States and upset financial markets. Here are the key points of the proposals, which will be debated in the ruling-party-dominated Congress, due to convene on Sunday: - What's the plan? - Lopez Obrador wants Supreme Court and other judges and magistrates to be elected by popular vote, arguing that the judiciary now serves the interests of the political and economic elite. https://lnkd.in/dqJD5JDb

NDP blocking Tory motion to fast-track foreign influence bill (Bill C-70) - Bill C-70 aims to give CSIS enhanced powers to address foreign interference, introduce new and updated criminal offences for sabotage and political interference, increased prison sentences for associated offences, and create a foreign influence registry. - The NDP opposed the associated unanimous consent motion seeking to speed up the process, which meant it could not be adopted by the chamber. https://lnkd.in/dbcSqvr4

🟢 | EXPERT ANALYSIS: Our #ConstitutionalReformsGuide features new content: “The Judicial Reform: Implications for the Rule of Law and the Bilateral Relationship Between Mexico and the United States” by Arturo Pueblita Fernández! “The reform poses a domestic threat and risks violating Mexico’s international obligations under the USMCA. The agreement mandates the preservation of independent courts free from political influence. By politicizing justice in Mexico, the reform could breach the country’s commitments, especially those outlined in Annex 23, which calls for impartial labor courts.” 🇲🇽 ⚖️ 👉 https://lnkd.in/eRr457tk #JudicialReform #Risks #NorthAmerica #JudicialIndependence #JudgesElection #USMCA

💡The Civil Liberties Union for Europe released a gap analysis today highlighting the discrepancies and weaknesses in the European Commission's Rule of Law Report, arguing that the reporting cycle "fails to have a meaningful impact beyond documenting the rule of law violations within the Union." 🔗 The analysis is well worth a read here: https://lnkd.in/gEpcZVAm The Guardian's coverage on the report's release is linked below 👇

"Free speech is everything. If we don’t have that, we have nothing and freedom is toast. All other problems pale in comparison. There are plenty of them, from healthcare to immigration but if we don’t have free speech, we cannot get the truth out about any of them." South Africans, sound familiar? Consider The Prevention and Combatting of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill (read here: https://lnkd.in/d5TaeN_U), waiting for President Ramaphosa's signature before it becomes law. Have your say here: https://lnkd.in/dXewQt9R https://lnkd.in/d6QtePmD

I wrote a blog on the International Criminal Court Prosecutor’s new policy on complementarity. I ask questions and give tentative answers. ▶️More than ever does the ICC call on state parties to step up efforts to prosecute international crimes; ▶️ which residual role does the ICC see for itself? ▶️ What to think about ‘bystander states’ with a weak link to crimes who prosecute international crimes? ▶️ Can we move towards a system of burden-sharing and universal jurisdiction allocation? ▶️ How about aligning prosecutorial decision-making? ▶️ Can we learn lessons from Eurojust and its role in coordinating accountability efforts in Ukraine? #internationallaw #ICC #Eurojust #EU

Our series on the #InternationalCriminalCourt Prosecutor’s Policy on Complementarity and Cooperation continues with Elies van Sliedregt. How might States think about open questions of #UniversalJurisdiction allocation? Read her analysis here: https://lnkd.in/eGqPmDwh

Announcement of a Visa Restriction Policy for Undermining Democracy in Georgia and Comprehensive Review of All U.S.-Georgia Cooperation PRESS STATEMENT ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE MAY 23, 2024 Over the past few months the ruling Georgian Dream party has developed and passed a “foreign influence” law that would stifle the exercise of freedoms of association and expression, stigmatize organizations that serve the citizens of Georgia, and impede independent media organizations working to provide Georgians with access to high quality information. As Georgian citizens have voiced opposition to the law, we have seen clear indications of a campaign of intimidation and the use of violence to suppress peaceful dissent. Both the “national security law” and the repressive tactics used to quell legitimate dissent undermine Georgia’s democracy and the fundamental freedoms to which the Georgian people are entitled and run contrary to Georgia’s long-stated goal – reflected in its constitution — of Euro-Atlantic integration and strategic partnership with the United States. https://lnkd.in/gU_MDuja

#BreakingNews | 71 #Parliamentarians from 48 countries worldwide have signed our Global Parliamentary Declaration in support of the International Criminal Court following threats and attacks against its independence and impartiality. PGA reiterates and stresses that any threat, political pressure, sanctions levied against the #ICC and its officials, or interference with the independence of its investigations and prosecutions based on political or other considerations undermines the Court's legitimacy and jeopardizes its mandate. We, therefore, urge #MPs around the world to: ✅ Sign this declaration in a powerful demonstration of global solidarity with the ICC. ✅ Advocate within your national parliaments for unwavering support of the ICC, including ensuring that your government fulfills its financial obligations, continued cooperation with the Court, and full implementation of the Rome Statute. ✅ Champion the ratification of the Rome Statute and all its amendments by those States that have yet to do so – the larger the Rome Statute system is, the more powerful it becomes. Read the full declaration here: ⤵ https://lnkd.in/g3EtqWGb Inter-Parliamentary Union | The Parliamentary Centre | le Centre parlementaire | European Parliament | ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) | Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe | Petra Bayr | OSCE Parliamentary Assembly | Margareta Cederfelt