Federal Lawsuit Sparks Debate: New Jersey’s Proposed Climate Penalties Face Potential Legal Hurdles

The U.S. Justice Department has filed legal challenges against two states over recently enacted laws aimed at penalizing fossil fuel companies for their role in climate change, raising questions for New Jersey as it considers similar legislation. The New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) is urging lawmakers in the state to reconsider their approach in light of these federal actions. Two bills in New Jersey, A-4696 and S-3545, have advanced through legislative committees in recent months but lack a scheduled vote in the full Assembly or Senate. Ray Cantor, NJBIA’s Deputy Chief of Government … Read more

Jersey’s Housing Minister Proposes Vital Tenancy Law Reforms Amidst Housing Crisis

Jersey, Channel Islands – In an effort to modernize tenant rights, which have been largely unchanged since 2011, Jersey’s government has proposed significant updates to the island’s residential tenancy laws. Minister for Housing Sam Mézec is spearheading the adjustments aimed at creating a fairer balance between landlords and tenants. The proposed changes include measures that would allow tenants to contest rent hikes and curb the extensive use of fixed-term tenancies, a move Mézec sees as essential towards establishing clearer regulations that uphold the duties and rights of all parties involved in the housing sector. Mézec … Read more

Jersey’s Human Rights Awareness Falls Short, Law Expert Reveals at Local Event

Jersey, a British Crown dependency, is grappling with an underdeveloped human rights culture despite the implementation of legislation designed to bolster these rights over two decades ago. Professor Andrew Le Sueur, a member of the Jersey Law Commission, recently shared a revealing analysis at a seminar organized by the Jersey Human Rights Group (JHRG). Le Sueur’s review of the Human Rights (Jersey) Law 2000 suggests that, though the measure was enacted with the goal of informing islanders about their rights and how to enforce them, the expected community-wide understanding and respect for these rights have … Read more

Jersey’s New Domestic Abuse Law Faces Push for Retrospective Justice as Survivors Seek Closure

Jersey, Channel Islands – Advocates and survivors of domestic abuse in Jersey are urging that the island’s recent law governing coercive and controlling behavior be applied retrospectively, addressing offenses committed before its enactment in June 2023. Currently, actions predating this legislation cannot be prosecuted under the new law, leaving some survivors feeling neglected by the justice system. This stirring call for change has resulted in a petition that has garnered the support of over 500 signatories, all united in their desire for the law to encompass historic abuse cases. Two survivors, going by the pseudonyms … Read more