Freedom of Expression and Defamation Under the European Convention on Human Rights
First in a two-part series about how Italy’s libel laws violate freedom of expression guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. Above: the European Court of Human Rights in … Continue reading
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 20 Years of Ceasefire
Above: Downtown Sarajevo. This article was originally published by the Center for Constitutional Studies and Democratic Development. By Janna Brancolini SARAJEVO, Bosnia — Twenty years ago this fall, the leaders … Continue reading
The Role of Truth in Italian versus American Defamation Law
Italian law, unlike American law, does not require defamatory speech to be false. Above: Truth and Mercy by Pompeo Batoni, circa 1745. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. In American defamation … Continue reading
Defamation Lawsuits, Attacks on Journalists Bring Down Italy’s 2015 Press Freedom Ranking
Above: Italy ranks worse than most of its neighbors, including several EU-hopeful Balkan states, in Reporters Without Borders’ latest global press freedom survey. White states are ranked the highest, followed … Continue reading
Local and National Governments Clash Over Gay Marriage in Italy
Bologna Mayor Virginio Merola (left) and Interior Minister Angelino Alfano (right) have squared off over same-sex marriage in Italy. Photos courtesy of the City of Bologna and the Italian Ministry of … Continue reading
80-Year-Old Court Case Comes to a Close in Naples
The decision finally resolves a 1934 property dispute surrounding a plot of land that required the court to trace the chain of title back to 1536. Above: Naples. NAPLES, Italy … Continue reading
Uncovering the Legend of Bettisia Gozzadini, Europe’s First Female Legal Scholar
Above: A bust of Gozzadini is displayed in the Museo della Storia di Bologna (Museum of the History of Bologna), where it sits alongside busts of other prominent Bolognese women … Continue reading
Fulbright Year Italy 