This paper examines how executive clemency can play an important function in confronting the framework-level inefficiencies and injustices encountered by battered women standing trial for or convicted of murder. Women in these situations frequently encounter culturally and legally ingrained biases that fail to fully recognise the prolonged impact of abuse and trauma, rendering clemency an essential path for seeking justice. This paper considers clemency practices in the United States and the United Kingdom, highlighting the impact of notable cases and legal structures. It particularly considers the role of Battered Woman Syndrome in the United States and the trauma-informed measures established by the United Kingdom’s Domestic Abuse Act of 2021. This paper utilises a doctrinal methodology to examine statutes, case law, and academic literature, aiming to appraise how effectively clemency serves to promote justice for battered women who have endured cumulative abuse. The findings suggest that although clemency is instrumental in addressing systemic shortcomings, its uneven implementation, along with prevailing political and societal biases, limits its effectiveness. This paper recommends the implementation of reforms that include the establishment of independent clemency review boards, providing trauma-informed training for those involved in decision-making, and creating standardised criteria for the application of clemency. These measures aim to improve transparency, equity, and accessibility, thereby ensuring that clemency can serve as an effective means of justice and mercy

This comparative socio-legal study examines how gender-discriminatory nationality laws in Botswana and Senegal emerged from British and French colonial legal frameworks. The purpose of the study is to analyse how these colonial-era codes institutionalised patrilineal descent and restricted women’s ability to transmit nationality to their children. Using a qualitative comparative methodology grounded in feminist legal theory and postcolonial legal theory, the study reviews constitutional cases, legislative reforms and international legal instruments. The findings show that both countries-maintained gender-biased nationality laws for decades after independence, treating women as secondary citizens and increasing the risk of statelessness for their children. The analysis demonstrates that reform occurred through different pathways: Botswana through the 1992 Unity Dow v. Attorney General constitutional case and Senegal through legislative amendment in 2013. The study finds that international human rights instruments, particularly CEDAW and the 1961 Statelessness Convention, along with domestic advocacy, played a critical role in catalysing these reforms. Overall, the research shows how postcolonial states can dismantle patriarchal colonial norms and achieve gender-equal citizenship through rights-based legal transformation. Keywords: Gender discrimination; Nationality law; Colonial legacy; Botswana; Senegal.

Resolving conflict of interest in public service is one of the key mechanisms for combating corruption. Its principles are defined in international legal documents. The United Nations (UN) Convention Against Corruption states that each State Party should strive, in accordance with the fundamental principles of its domestic law, to establish, maintain and strengthen systems that promote transparency and prevent the appearance of conflict of interest. All State Parties shall endeavour to establish, maintain and strengthen measures that promote transparency and prevent conflicts of interest, in accordance with the fundamental principles of their domestic law. The article raises the problem that the confusing legal regulation and the variety of situations that arise in public service result in public servants not always correctly identifying conflicts of interest, not avoiding conflicts of public and private interests, and persons who have ceased to work in the public service not complying with restrictions on work, restrictions on concluding contracts or using individual benefits, and restrictions on representation. The aim of this article is to reveal the peculiarities of the legal regulation of conflict of interest, to analyse means of resolving conflicts of interest in the public service and restrictions for post-public servants in Ukraine and Lithuania. The authors set out a number of tasks in the article: (i) to define the concept of conflict of interest in the public service; (ii) to identify means of resolving conflicts of interest in the public service in Ukraine and Lithuania; (iii) to compare the restrictions (limitations) for post-public servants in each country. The research methods employed included: (i) comparative method, comparing the regulations on conflict of interest in each country; (ii) generalisation method, to formulate conclusions; (iii) document analysis method, focusing on the legal acts and documents of Ukraine and Lithuania; (iv) statistical method, to reveal the number of investigation identifying conflicts of interest in public officials' activities. Keywords: Conflict of Interest, Public Service, Post-public Servants, Withdrawal from Decision-making, Restrictions, Limitations, Liability.

This article examines the specific features of training for entry-level police officers in various European countries and Ukraine, with particular attention to the development of forensic competencies required for responding to criminal acts and working at crime scenes. The study analyses the structure of training programmes across different countries, focusing on how forensic training is integrated, whether forensic topics are directly linked to officers’ initial roles, the extent to which professional duties influence the scope of forensic instruction and the balance between theoretical and practical knowledge. The findings indicate that although different European countries and Ukraine apply diverse models for preparing officers, they all ensure that future officers acquire essential forensic knowledge and develop the practical skills necessary for acting effectively at crime scenes, regardless of their eventual place of service. Based on the comparative analysis of these experiences, a core block of forensic knowledge is identified as fundamental to ensuring the proper implementation of forensic competencies in crime scene work. Keywords: Forensics, Criminal investigation, Officer training, Initial vocational training, Public safety.  

The principle of judicial independence is a fundamental tenet of the rule of law and fair trial standards. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) identifies four criteria for evaluating judicial independence: (a) the manner of a judge's appointment; (b) the duration of such an appointment; (c) safeguards against external influence; and (d) the appearance of independence. The ECtHR also distinguishes several dimensions of judicial independence, including independence vis-à-vis the executive, parliament, other courts, and parties, as well as independence from judicial councils. Nevertheless, despite the existence of shared European principles on judicial independence, certain countries, particularly those undergoing transitions, encounter challenges such as political interference, corruption, and insufficient safeguards against dismissal. This results in a discernible disjunction between de jure and de facto judicial independence. This article poses the following research questions: What are the main approaches and common challenges for judicial independence in European countries based on the latest case law of the ECtHR? What lessons can be learned by Ukraine, as an EU candidate, from this case law in order to mitigate the gap between de jure and de facto judicial independence?

This article focuses on the statutory exit right of a minority shareholder in a private limited company in two countries -Lithuania and Bulgariaby exploring two interconnected aspects with equal practical significance: conditions for its exercise and the terms for the calculation of the exit payment. The paper emphasises that both legal frameworks employ conceptually different legal techniques that limit withdrawal from a private limited company, i.e., by providing either for a narrowly drafted exit right and therefore directly limiting the exit of the minority shareholder, as is the case in Lithuania, or by establishing a general right of exit against limited cash compensation which impedes withdrawal in an indirect way, as is the case in Bulgaria. The article concludes that there is room for significant improvement in both countries when it comes to regulating the exit right of a minority shareholder in a private limited company.

This research aims to intricately dissect the legal frameworks governing medical tourism in Europe, compare regulatory experiences across different countries, and highlight the legal nuances within the broader sociological and anthropological context. In the article, a multi-faceted methodology is employed to analyze legal aspects of medical tourism in European countries, focusing on the evolution, regulatory frameworks, and economic dynamics of the industry. This approach includes a comparative statistical analysis of national and EU regulation, historical perspectives, and legal hermeneutics to interpret laws affecting both domestic and foreign patients in the realm of medical tourism. The main research results are the clarification of the historical aspect of the development of medical tourism in the world, the distinction of its specific categories, and the provision of statistics regarding what specific types of medical care people migrate for. The way in which medical tourism is regulated in such European countries as Poland, Germany and France is explored. The research results can be used by lawyers, sociologists, and legislators to improve the effectiveness of legislation in regard to domestic and foreign medical tourism in the studied countries.

The independence of the judiciary is one of the most important aspects of a liberal democracy governed by the rule of law. The judiciary adjudicates on legal and constitutional disputes in accordance with the law, which is a difficult task in and of itself. There are various factors that the judiciary takes into account when deciding upon different legal matters. When a court decides on a case unanimously, it is known as a unanimous judgement. However, the bench may also be divided, where judges do not concur with each other, resulting in a minority judgement. Over time, minority judgements often come to be voiced by the majority. Although dissenting judicial opinions have been recognized through legislative enactments and constitutional amendments and often go on to become the law of the land, they remain a neglected area of legal theory and jurisprudence, and thus need to be explored. Dissent is a sign of a healthy democracy; it is one of the most important aspects of the right to freedom of speech and expression. Judicial dissent has been a regular feature of constitutional courts in both India and the United States of America. Therefore, in this paper, the author analyzes the notion of judicial dissent and its relevance in human rights law before interrogating the process through which a once-neglected dissenting opinion can become the majority opinion and the law of the land. Finally, this study highlights the importance and contribution of judicial dissent in human rights law in India and the United States of America.