Why California is banning chlorpyrifos, a widely-used pesticide: 5 questions answered

Jan 24, 2020 06:10 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

Editors note: California, the top U.S. food-producing state, is ending use of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide associated with neurodevelopmental problems and impaired brain function in children. Gina Solomon, a principal...

Cousin took a DNA test? Courts could use it to argue you are more likely to commit crimes

Jan 21, 2020 01:47 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

How similar do you think you are to your second cousin? Or your estranged great aunt? Would you like to have people assess your behaviour from what your great aunt has done? How would you feel if courts used data gained...

CSIRO wants our laws turned into computer code. Here's why that's a bad idea

Jan 21, 2020 01:44 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology Law

Most of our laws are dense, obscure and effectively unintelligible for most people (even some lawyers). In a country where, every year, 25% of the population face serious legal issues yet often cannot afford to protect...

Agriculture Bill: here's what it means for farming and the environment after Brexit

Jan 20, 2020 09:23 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

The UKs new Agriculture Bill has been called one of the most significant pieces of legislation for farmers in England for over 70 years. It could directly affect the livelihoods of 460,000 people and determine the future...

How Prohibition changed the way Americans drink, 100 years ago

Jan 18, 2020 12:13 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

On Jan. 17, 1920, one hundred years ago, America officially went dry. Prohibition, embodied in the U.S Constitutions 18th amendment, banned the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol. Yet it remained legal to...

Can the Constitution stop the government from lying to the public?

Jan 18, 2020 12:10 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

When regular people lie, sometimes their lies are detected, sometimes theyre not. Legally speaking, sometimes theyre protected by the First Amendment and sometimes not, like when they commit fraud or perjury. But what...

Supreme Court DACA decision isn't just about Dreamers -- it's about whether the White House has to tell the truth

Jan 18, 2020 11:59 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

The fate of 700,000 people facing deportation may hang on a new question facing the U.S. Supreme Court: Is the White House legally obligated to tell the whole truth when justifying its actions? In November, justices...