International Legal News - 01 December 2025
- Ned Vucijak
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
The following media round up on international and foreign policy issues from around the world for the period of 24 November to 28 November 2025. Guernica 37 will provide weekly media updates from the International Criminal Court, European Court of Human Rights, United Nations, European Union and other sources. Should you wish to contribute or submit a media summary, opinion piece or blog, please send to Ned Vucijak at nenadv@guernica37.com for consideration.
28 November 2025
International Criminal Law: ICC Appeals Chamber rejects request for interim release of Duterte
The International Criminal Court (“ICC”) delivered a judgment in open court that has rejected an appeal by Mr Rodrigo Roa Duterte and confirmed a decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I of 26 September 2025 which saw the former apply for interim release.
Mr Duterte, who is under ICC custody, is the incumbent mayor of Davao City and was previously President of The Philippines between 2016 and 2022.
A warrant for his arrest was issued in secret on 7 March 2025 and made public on 11 March 2025. He is suspected of crimes against humanity and attempted murder between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019.
For more on this story, see here.
27 November 2025
Human Rights: Political opponents detained in Yemen
Houthi authorities have detained dozens of political opponents since July 2025 according to the human rights NGO, Human Rights Watch.
It is reported that at least 70 people associated with the Yemeni Congregation for Reform, known as the Islah party have been detained. This wave of detentions has been associated with what has been described as a wider campaign that has targeted members of civil society, the UN, NGOs, businesspeople, and even people associated with the Houthi authorities.
It is alleged that Houthis have detained individuals affiliated with political opposition parties since their takeover of Sanaa, Yemen’s capital in 2014.
For more on this story, see here.
26 November 2025
Criminal Law: Law Society criticises UK Government plans to about right to trial by jury
It was reported the previous day that the UK Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice, David Lammy had briefed his ministers in a leaked memo of plans to limit trial by jury to cases of murder, manslaughter, rape, and ‘public interest’ cases, with the result that all other criminal trials would be handled by a new judge led procedure.
However, the law society gazette has reported that its President, Mark Evans has criticised the plans. The news follows an independent review of the criminal courts system by Sir Brian Leveson which called for more criminal matters to be heard through judge led procedure to address a growing backlog of cases that are in stasis within an underfunded criminal justice system.
Evans was quoted: “Leveson’s report made clear the complexity of the situation and the need for investment and reform across the entire criminal justice system, which is currently failing the public it serves… The Leveson proposals were an uncomfortable compromise, only justifiable given the extensive challenges our justice system faces. To go beyond Leveson’s proposals is a step too far.”
The right to trial by jury in English law can properly be said to be ancient. Magna Carta, (1215 as revised in 1297) provided that “None of these fines shall be imposed except by the assessment on oath of reputable men of the neighbourhood.” Sir Francis Bacon argued that these provisions served as the impetus for the jury system as practiced in the 16th century.
Jury trials in civil cases have slowly disappeared since the mid-19th century. Section 69 of the Senior Courts Act 1981 provides for civil juries only in cases of fraud or in cases of defamation, malicious prosecution, or false imprisonment.
In contrast, the role of juries in English and Welsh criminal law has remained (mostly) steadfast for the last 800 years and serve as the gold standard for the common law’s understanding of due process and a fair trial. It remains in practice around the world in countries whose legal system follows the common law.
For more on this story, see here.
To read Sir Brian Leveson’s review, see here.
25 November 2025
Council of Europe: Informal ministerial conference to discuss issues concerning migration and the European Convention on Human Rights
Secretary General of the Council of Europe (“CoE”) Alain Berset has reportedly of his own motion proposed a ministerial conference to be held at CoE headquarters on the 10 December 2025 to discuss the topic of migration.
Berset has been quoted ahead of the event stating: “Migration issues are high on the agenda of countries and people across Europe […] The European Convention on Human Rights provides the framework we need to address these issues effectively and responsibly. Our task is not to weaken the Convention, but to keep it strong and relevant — to ensure that liberty and security, justice and responsibility, are held in balance”.
The news comes after several reports from Germany, the UK, and other European countries all which have considered temporary derogation from Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“ECHR”) to address the administrative challenges associated with struggling asylum systems.
For more on this story, see here.
24 November 2025
Climate Law: COP30 agrees new deal in Brazil
A new climate deal at the COP30 summit held in Belém, Brazil which adopts the so-called Belém package, provides for a collection of new measures that will triple the funding to help vulnerable countries adapt to the ongoing impact of climate change.
It is reported that the closing plenary saw over 200 parties support the measures. However, negotiations to establish a roadmap to detransition from fossil fuels has proven unfruitful.The COP climate process falls under the rubric of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (“UNFCCC”).
For more on this story see here.