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New Publication Exploring Russia’s Use of Human Rights Justifications in Defense of its Invasion of Ukraine
Human rights are conventionally conceptualised as normative safeguards that enable individuals to hold States accountable. However, an emerging line of inquiry examines a more complex dynamic: the invocation of human rights by States themselves as justificatory tools for their own actions. In this chapter, Maria Grahn-Farley develops the concept of human rights justifications, referring to…
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Protective Measures or Intrusive Surveillance? Electronic Monitoring of Children in Sweden
In Sweden, a new legislative proposal is currently under consideration: allowing social services to use electronic ankle monitoring on children as young as 13. Framed as a measure to protect children and prevent harmful behaviour, the proposal raises difficult questions that reach far beyond one national context. Coordinator of HRJust, Maria Grahn-Farley has drafted the…
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Expert Panel Survey on Legal Experts, Hui-Chieh Su
As part of WP4 Taiwan’s civil society engagement, three expert surveys were conducted to assess how different professional communities evaluated Taiwan’s COVID-19 response. The surveys targeted legal professionals, medical service providers, and members of the local civic tech community. Each survey included questions on demographic background, general attitudes toward pandemic measures, and field-specific assessments. Taiwan…
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Expert Panel Survey on Healthcare Professionals, Yu-Ling Huang
As part of WP4 Taiwan’s civil society engagement, three expert surveys were conducted to examine how legal professionals, medical service providers, and civic tech communities evaluated Taiwan’s COVID-19 response. Each survey included demographic questions, general assessments of pandemic governance, and field-specific issues. One survey focused specifically on healthcare workers. Early in the pandemic, healthcare personnel…
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Expert Panel Survey on Civil Tech, Shun-Ling Chen
As part of WP4 Taiwan’s civil society engagement, three expert surveys were conducted to assess how legal professionals, healthcare providers, and civic tech communities evaluated Taiwan’s COVID-19 response. Each survey included demographic questions, general attitudes toward pandemic governance, and field-specific assessments. The civic tech survey focused on Taiwan’s extensive use of digital tools for pandemic…
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HRJust Early Alert — January to March
Our latest Early Alert highlights key public consultations and policy processes from January–March 2026, where civil society engagement can make a difference. Through WP5 at Stockholm University, HRJust identifies developments where timely consultation responses can help protect rights and promote proportional policymaking. Explore the full overview in the attached document.
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Civil Society Engagement Summary II
This memo summarizes two focus group interviews conducted by the Taiwan team of WP5 on December 19 and December 22, 2025, with non-governmental organizations working on immigration policy, human rights protection, and advocacy. Discussions centered on three themes: advocacy strategies, domestic and geopolitical pressures, and international networking—particularly the EU’s role. NGOs reported that human rights…
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Highlights from the Nordic Rule of Law Forum 2025
Last week, the HRJust project had the privilege of co-hosting the Nordic Rule of Law Forum 2025 together with Civil Rights Defenders. The forum brought together researchers, legal experts, civil society actors, and policymakers to engage in critical discussions on the rule of law and the evolving role of human rights in state practice. Researchers…
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HRJust Workshop at Stockholm University: Exploring Human Rights Justifications in Practice
Last week, the HRJust project hosted a full-day workshop at Stockholm University, bringing together researchers, civil society actors, and international partners to explore the implications of states invoking human rights as justification for policy and governance. Participants included collaborators from Academia Sinica and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), alongside representatives from civil society organisations and…
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Seminar on Human Rights Protection in Sweden in a Global Context
On 10 November, the HRJust project hosted a seminar examining recent developments in human rights protection in Sweden and their connection to broader global trends of democratic decline. The event featured a keynote presentation by John Stauffer, Legal Director and Deputy Executive Director of Civil Rights Defenders. In his talk, “The State of Human Rights…