The Legal Edge

The judiciary is taking a major step forward in handling gender-based violence (GBV) and other gender justice cases. The newly introduced Practice Directions for Management of Gender Justice Cases, 2024 outline a structured approach to ensure fairness, efficiency, and victim-centered justice. These guidelines are a response to the growing need for specialized legal frameworks that address gender justice with sensitivity and effectiveness. Why These Practice Directions Matter Gender justice cases involve complex and sensitive issues, often requiring courts to balance victims’ rights, fair trial principles, and the pursuit of justice. The new practice directions aim to: Enhance victim protection by ensuring privacy, dignity, and safety in court proceedings. Speed up case resolution to minimize delays that may retraumatize victims. Establish Gender Justice Courts with specialized judges and staff trained in handling gender-related cases. Ensure compliance with international standards on g...

Investor-State Dispute Settlements (ISDS):  When Corporations Sue Governments Over Lost Billions :   “ Privatization and Public-Private Partnerships Crisis Driving Investors Away” Studies have shown that infrastructure is primarily a public sector issue, with the government often blamed for its shortcomings. The public sector invests significantly more in infrastructure compared to the private sector. However, even for the most publicly-managed infrastructure services, private sector involvement plays a crucial role in ensuring successful service delivery. When seeking private sector participation to deliver infrastructure services, a grantor, which is usually the government, has several options for restructuring projects, such as privatization and public-private partnerships. The motive for seeking private sector involvement in infrastructure is to address the underperformance of public sector utilities, the inadequate technical management of resources, and the investment dem...