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Newsweek
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Former Supreme Court Justice Warns Freedom and Democracy 'At Risk'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Amid an uptick in threats to judges, former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy warned that the current hostility in America's political discourse imperils freedom and democracy. Why It Matters Rhetoric by President Donald Trump, including calls on social media for the impeachment of judges who have ruled against his policies, has triggered urgent warnings from current and former members of the Supreme Court about the stability of the country's legal systems. These attacks, which have included labeling judges as "troublemakers" and "monsters" in public posts, have raised concerns about undermining the independence of the judiciary, an institution considered essential to protecting American democracy. Current Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, a Republican appointee, also referenced the public attacks on judges in a rare statement, saying, "For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose." What To Know In a virtual forum on Thursday for the event "Speak Up for Justice," with other judges from around the world, Kennedy said that "We should be concerned in this country about, as I've already indicated, the tone of our political discourse," according to Reuters. The Ronald Reagan appointee continued: "Identity politics are used so that a person is characterized by his or her partisan affiliation. That's not what democracy and civil discourse is about." Kennedy noted that the rest of the world seems to monitor how things operate in the United States "to see what democracy ought to be." "And if they see a hostile, fractious discourse, if they see a discourse that uses identity politics rather than to talk about issues, democracy is at risk," the retired justice said. "Freedom is at risk." He urged for judges and their families to have protection, and said they are best protected "when the public and our nation realize how central they are to our discourse." Kennedy did not mention Trump by name during the event, Reuters reports. Former U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy speaks at the World Law Congress at U.N. headquarters in New York City on July 21, 2023. (Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images) Former U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy speaks at the World Law Congress at U.N. headquarters in New York City on July 21, 2023. (Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images) Trump has sharply criticized jurists who have ruled against his administration's key policies—most notably U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg—whom he described as a "troublemaker and agitator" while calling for his impeachment after the judge blocked usage of the Alien Enemies Act for deportation flights. According to Politico, U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, whose family was targeted in a fatal attack in 2020, noted during the same virtual event that the U.S. Marshals Service has recorded over 400 threats against federal judges so far this year. Salas attributed the rise to disinformation and inflammatory rhetoric "from the top down." What People Are Saying Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in May on threats to judges, in part: "The threats and harassment are attacks on our democracy, on our system of government. And they ultimately risk undermining our Constitution and the rule of law." Trump, during his 100th day in office speech in Michigan, in part: "We cannot allow a handful of communist radical left judges to obstruct the enforcement of our laws and assume the duties that belong solely to the president of the United States. Judges are trying to take away the power given to the president to keep our country safe ... it's not a good thing." Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, to Newsweek when asked if Kennedy's comments were a poke at Trump: "It's clearly a poke at the President, especially because Justice Kennedy's exit from the Court allowed Trump to shift it to the right with the appointment of Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh." What Happens Next As threats continue to be tracked by law enforcement, congressional debate and judicial responses are expected to intensify as the Supreme Court approaches the conclusion of its current term.
Hans India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
First Indian lawyer to get Medal of Honor
Vijayawada: Eminent child rights lawyer and Just Rights for Children founder Bhuwan Ribhu has become the first Indian lawyer to be conferred with the 'Medal of Honour' by the World Jurist Association (WJA) at the World Law Congress in Dominican Republic. Bhuwan Ribhu has strong connections with NTR district as Vijayawada-based Vasavya Mahila Mandali is a partner of the Just Rights for Children network. Elated with this honour conferred to the founder of JRC, Dr B Keerthi, president of Vasavya Mahila Mandali said, 'This is not just an individual honour for Bhuwan Ribhu. It is a moment of immense pride for all of us working on the ground to protect every child. We are committed to making NTR district child marriage-free by 2030.' Bhuwan Ribhu received the 'Medal of Honour' from Eddy Olivares Ortega, Minister of Labor of Dominican Republic, and Javier Cremades, President of the World Jurist Association. Bhuwan Ribhu has led over 60 PILs resulting in landmark rulings in the Supreme Court and various High Courts. His 2011 case led to the Supreme Court defining trafficking in line and his 2013 campaign on missing children triggered a historic judgment changing the way India's legal system perceived missing children cases. His PICKET strategy to end child marriage, outlined in When Children Have Children, was endorsed by the Supreme Court in its 2024 guidelines. The strategy is also followed by the Vasavya Mahila Mandali, which is determined that the district would be free from child marriage by 2030.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
From courtroom litigator to global child rights crusader
New Delhi: In 2005, Bhuwan Ribhu , who was just 25 then, was another young lawyer walking into Delhi High Court. Unlike many of his peers, he wasn't chasing corporate clients or courtroom glory. He went there to challenge society's acceptance of child labour as a norm. He spoke before no media cameras, no packed benches — just with a firm belief that children deserved better having noticed a lack of enforcement ethics during a rescue operation that very morning."My journey started in 2005 after I saw a rescue operation where the law enforcement agencies were not enforcing the law properly. That evening, I filed my first big PIL and since then there has been no turning back."Two decades later, Ribhu has become the first Indian lawyer to receive the Medal of Honour from the World Jurist Association at the World Law Congress. The award, presented in the Dominican Republic, recognised his work on children's rights and the reforms made in the sector over the years. With more than 60 public interest cases filed in the Supreme Court and various high courts, Ribhu helped bring India's child protection approach from the margins to the centre of the legal justice said, "I would say that justice is a journey. It is not a goal. We are only as good as our last decision as a society. Therefore, we have to build and strengthen this wall of protection brick by brick."At the heart of this shift is Just Rights for Children (JRC), the legal intervention network the lawyer co-founded, now a coalition of over 250 organisations across the country. Between April 2023 and March this year, JRC's coordinated efforts led to the rescue of 85,465 trafficked children, foiled 3,30,496 child marriages and provided legal aid to over 34,000 survivors of sexual work is guided by a clear strategy, encapsulated in his PICKET strategy: Policy, Institutions, Capacity-building, Knowledge, Economics and Technology. It includes a plan to end child marriage in India by 2030. First introduced in his book When Children Have Children, PICKET was adopted by both the central govt and 416 districts as part of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign launched in Nov 2011, through a case filed and argued by Ribhu, the Supreme Court defined the trafficking of persons, aligning it with the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. This landmark case led to the inclusion of a specific offence against trafficking in the Indian Penal Code. The Justice Verma Committee, established to recommend legal reforms following the Nirbhaya gangrape case in 2012, included Ribhu's proposals to add new offences such as the accountability of public servants, stalking, voyeurism, trafficking and exploitation of a trafficked individual, among others, in its recommendations to in 2013, Ribhu's work, grounded in evidence and experience, brought the issue of missing children to the forefront, leading to a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court mandating compulsory registration of all missing children cases. It also applied the Doctrine of Presumption of Crime in trafficking or kidnapping cases and directed the creation of standard operating procedures for investigating missing children cases. Similarly, his work in 2015 led to the Juvenile Justice Act being also assisted the Indian govt in defending the fundamental right to education in the Supreme Court. His cases led to the development of the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction, 2016, and the inclusion of child right to education in the National Education Policy, a year back, Ribhu was the petitioner when the Supreme Court introduced the term 'Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM)' on Sept 23 to replace 'child pornography'. In another judgment on child marriage in Nov 2024, the Supreme Court gave a structured and comprehensive guide on combating child marriage in the country."My child is just 10 years old. When anyone asks him about his father's profession, he says my father protects children," the 45-year-old lawyer smiled. "So, yes, if a child knows the difference between good and evil, my role now is to make the country and the world learn the same." Ribhu said the award was a recognition of India's leadership and contribution in child protection. But, he added, it "has added more responsibility for us to end child marriage and impunity against child sexual abuse".
