An Irish High Court recently made news by ordering the Refugee Appeals Tribunal (the ruling body for determining refugee status in Ireland) to increase exposure by releasing their prior judgments on refugee cases to the public. The order came at the behest of eight applicants, five of whom were children, so that they could better prepare for their own refugee applications. Justice John MacMenamin, the presiding judge in the matter, felt that the tribunal exhibited behavior “unique in the common law jurisdictions” and declared the refusal to be a breach of natural and constitutional rights. Judging it unfair under the Immigration Act of 2003, Justice MacMenamin further contended that an applicant to the tribunal has the very same rights whether he be an Irish citizen or not. 

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Ophir Pines-Paz, Interior Minister for the State of Israel, recently organized an advisory committee to review Israel’s immigration and nationality laws, reports Israel’s Ha’Aretz newspaper.  The committee, made up of several foreign affairs and law scholars, will examine such statutes as preserving the Jewish majority, limiting access to legal residency, and the relationship between marriage and citizenship. Three of the committee’s members served on an earlier advisory board, which recommended and enacted laws governing permanent residency. After reaching conclusions, the committee will make suggestions to a ministerial team who will then present the findings to the Israeli government.