Writs but no Weapons? A Stocktake on Administrative Justice in Myanmar The former Chief Justice Ba U of the Supreme Court of Burma once described the constitutional writs as ‘weapons’. The early years of independence in Burma were a time of significant judicial activism, when the Supreme Court did not hesitate to strike down executiveContinue reading “Writs but no Weapons? Administrative Justice in Myanmar”
Author Archives: Melissa Crouch
Socio-legal Scholarship on Southeast Asia
The Asian Journal of Comparative Law is about to publish a special edition on Socio-legal Scholarship on Southeast Asia. This special issue is the result of a workshop held in 2012 on Socio-legal Research on Southeast Asia: Themes, Directions, and Challenges, organised by Lynette J. Chua and Andrew Harding at the Centre for Asian Legal Studies, NUS, Singapore. AsContinue reading “Socio-legal Scholarship on Southeast Asia”
Myanmar’s Muslim Mosaic and the Politics of Belonging
Note: This talk was given at the Southeast Asian Human Rights Network Conference on 15-16 October 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. One of the co-panelists, Pak Ulil Abshar Abdullah who is well-known as a proponent of liberal Islam, was banned from entering Malaysia, but was able to give his presentation via skype. On the same day, the MalaysianContinue reading “Myanmar’s Muslim Mosaic and the Politics of Belonging”
Access to Justice and Administrative Law in Myanmar
Administrative law is an important part of access to justice because it can operate as a check and balance on government decision-making, and provide an avenue for individuals to seek review of government decisions. In a report sponsored by USAID and TetraTech for their ‘Promoting the Rule of Law in Myanmar’ program, I emphasise the importanceContinue reading “Access to Justice and Administrative Law in Myanmar”
Human Rights Resource Centre study on religion in ASEAN
I was recently interested to learn of some of the new research being done in ASEAN countries by The Human Rights Resource Centre. The centre is based at the University of Indonesia, Jakarta, and is affiliated with ASEAN.Its most recent publication is a series of country reviews of judicial training in ASEAN countries. In early 2015, itContinue reading “Human Rights Resource Centre study on religion in ASEAN”
Southeast Asian Human Rights Network conference
Next week, from 15-16 October 2014, the third international conference on Human Rights, Peace and Conflict in Southeast Asia will be held, hosted by the Southeast Asian Human Rights Studies Network and the Faculty of Law and Human Rights Research Centre, University of Malaya, KL. The conference will draw together a diverse group of scholars, researchers, activists and studentsContinue reading “Southeast Asian Human Rights Network conference”
Book: Law and Society in Myanmar
An edited collection on ‘Law, Society and Transition in Myanmar’ will soon be published by Hart Publishing. This edited volume addresses the dynamics of the legal system of Myanmar/Burma in the context of the transition to democracy and a quasi-civilian government. The edited volume includes the following chapters: PART I: THE LEGAL SYSTEM OF MYANMAR ChapterContinue reading “Book: Law and Society in Myanmar”
Review of Scholarship on Myanmar Law
The recent edition of the Pacific Rim Law and Policy Review contains several articles on Myanmar, including on the topic of sovereign wealth funds and responsible investment. My article is on “Rediscovering ‘Law’ in Myanmar: A Review of Scholarship on the Legal System of Myanmar”. The legal system of Myanmar is an understudied area in theContinue reading “Review of Scholarship on Myanmar Law”
Cause Lawyers in Asia
The Wisconsin International Law Journal has recently published a special edition on Cause Lawyers in Asia (Issue 3, Fall 2013). The volume includes the following contributions: Mobilizing Law for Justice in Asia: A Comparative Approach Frank W. Munger, Scott L. Cummings and Louise G. Trubek| New Paths to Justice: A Tale of Social Justice Lawyering in Bangladesh Cynthia Farid The Call of the Times:Continue reading “Cause Lawyers in Asia”
Burma Studies Conference 2014
The bi-annual International Burma Studies Conference will be held in Singapore in August 2014. The theme of the conference is ‘Envisioning Myanmar: Issues, Images, Identities’ and is co-hosted by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, the Centre for Asian Legal Studies (Law Faculty, NUS), and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (NUS). For allContinue reading “Burma Studies Conference 2014”
Melissa Crouch 