American Lessons: The COVID-19 Pandemic and the US Supreme Court

Ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic in America in March 2020, several US states imposed harsh measures to combat the pandemic. Such state measures have at times seriously violated human rights, such as freedom of religion or freedom of movement. This chapter attempts to look at how the US Supreme Court has responded to the pandemic and reviewed several state measures over the past couple of years through selected cases on freedom of religion and compulsory vaccinations. We particularly look at its views on the role of the judiciary during the crisis, the scrutiny applied on human rights violations, as well as whether changes in the Court's composition during the Trump Era have in fact influenced its judicial reasoning. Overall, has the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on judicial review and the Court's role? If so, how?. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Pandemics and infodemics: How COVID-19 is reshaping content regulation

The debate about tackling online misinformation and disinformation is not unique to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the health crisis has elevated the danger of misleading information circulated on social media. Labelled as 'infodemic', the problem of COVID-19-related misinformation and disinformation prompted governments and social media platforms around the globe to impose various speech restrictions. The public and private policy frameworks aiming to curb the spread of the infodemic were adopted in a state of emergency and without proper scrutiny. Yet, they are shaping the future of content regulation, possibly affecting freedom of speech and other democratic values for years to come. This chapter looks at the key problematic aspects of actions taken by governments and social media platforms to address COVID-19-related misinformation and disinformation and discusses the possible long-term effects of these measures. © 2023 the authors.

The Impact of the Pandemic on the Greek Constitution

This chapter discusses the main legal problems Greece faced during the various phases of the COVID-19 crisis. The impact of the pandemic on the protection of civil rights seems to be lasting and nefarious. Fundamental rights were subject to unprecedented restrictions for the sake of public health, without any effective judicial protection. Free movement, the right of assembly, religious liberty, freedom of speech, economic liberty, and ultimately personal autonomy limited by compulsory vaccination, were regulated exhaustively by detailed and intrusive administrative rules and prohibitions. Moreover, the pandemic put under great pressure the existing framework for the constitutional protection of fundamental rights where the principle of proportionality is the cornerstone of judicial review. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

The American Anti-Vaxxer COVID Dead: A Dynamic Chronicle of Failed Sacrifices

Unlike earlier pandemics, where a "politics of blame" was directed against those who spread infection, the COVID pandemic in the United States has created occasions for the deployment of a "politics of commendation" for performing acts of sacrifice. Frontline healthcare workers have been celebrated for sacrificing themselves in service to their patients, even as critics have charged their being hapless victims of "social murder" at the hands of irresponsible medical administrators. Governmental officials, notably in Texas, have also recommended the elderly to refuse COVID care, die and thus sacrifice themselves selflessly for the benefit of the younger generation. Lately, COVID vaccine-refusal has been seen as an act of noble political sacrifice-typically to further individual liberty against the coercive power of the Federal government's promotion or mandating of vaccination. Anti-vaxxers embracing the role of such political sacrifices, however, generally fail to realize this aspiration, insofar they are often just culpable of their own demise by neglecting public health advisories. Furthermore, the partisan politicization of their deaths militates against the normal recognition of their being sacrifices. Party political calculations have frequently demanded denial of the COVID origins of the anti-vaxxer deaths, and also effectively eliminated any normal attendant rites of reciprocation, memorialization or sacralization of the victims, typical of sacrifices, proper.

The challenge of 'COVID-19 free' Australia: international travel restrictions and stranded citizens

This paper uses Australia as a case study to analyse restrictions on international movement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions on inbound and outbound travel have been a key tool deployed by governments across the globe to suppress the COVID-19 pandemic. We use 'COVID zero' Australia as a case study to assess an extreme response to restricting international movement. We look at the recent complaint launched before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. The action was raised with the support of a group of Australian citizens stranded abroad with the assistance of the expert in Australian constitutional law who is the second author of this paper. We argue that the measures implemented by Australian governments to effectively eliminate COVID-19 domestically have provided insufficient consideration of, and alternatives to, the current system's failure to facilitate essential international travel. For this reason, Australia's framework for restricting international movement lacks proportionality and necessity from the perspective of human rights and freedoms. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Human Rights is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

A Policy Perspective on Regulating Disinformation in Romania during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Romania is one of the countries that adopted temporary sanctions against disinformation during the state of emergency, which lasted between March 16 and May 14, 2020. The scope of this paper is to analyze the decisions adopted by the National Authority for Administration and Regulation of Communications, which was the institution responsible for regulating the spread of fake news on the internet. We analyzed the motivation to block access to false information and the type of news classified as disinformation. In addition, we analyzed decisions adopted by the National Council of Audio‐visual starting with the end of February 2020, both in terms of recommendations and the sanctions imposed on audio‐visual channels of communication, as well as the decisions to sanction noncompliance with the correct information of the audience. The findings show a limited effect in containing disinformation. Access to a limited number of websites was blocked and after the state of emergency was lifted, access was granted again. Removing access to a website did not stop the authors from continuing their activity by opening a new website. The lack of a definition of false information allowed discretion power in blocking access to news containing information that later proved to be correct. The activity of audio‐visual channels was regulated instead through soft legislation, such as recommendations and instructions, as well as through sanctions. Overall the analysis shows temporary and limited effects of the legislation sanctioning disinformation in Romania. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration & Policy is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Media Policies and Practices in Zimbabwe's ‘New Dispensation'

Mnangagwa's ascendancy into the presidency in November 2017 came with significant promise for Zimbabweans who were tired of the long autocratic rule of President Robert Mugabe. Touting itself as the ‘New Dispensation' and Zimbabwe's ‘Second Republic', the new regime promised to lead Zimbabwe into prosperity, underpinned by respect for democratic principles and the rule of law. Significantly, Mnangagwa's regime reached out to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, promised to restore relations with the international community and declared that Zimbabwe was ‘open for business'. In this chapter, I argue that the Second Republic's declared intentions have not been matched by its actions, with specific reference to the media. Since the general elections in July 2018, Zimbabweans have experienced various forms of repression that have included violent disruption of demonstrations and the brutal and public killing of civilian protestors by the army. This assault on civic spaces and basic liberties has been accompanied by similar efforts targeting opposition political parties and spaces. The new regime has also used different tactics, including co-optation, to control the media and emasculate communicative spaces. I conclude that, under Mnangagwa, there has been more continuity than change from the old media policies and practices of Robert Mugabe. Because of this, the significance of Mnangagwa's formative project should be seriously doubted. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

The paradox of freedom in lockdown

Before the arrival of Covid-19 the way of being in life was mainly in the present and future while it carried the past less consciously;during lockdown the focus seemed to be in the present and past, while the future also remained just out of sight. Lockdown had become a giant guilt-free procrastination chamber. The first lockdown took place in Britain on 16 March 2020. Emerging from that first lockdown was like slowly coming out of hibernation. This chapter touches on some of experiences at the beginning of the first lockdown: 'Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is the power to choose the response. In the response lies the growth and the freedom'. Freedom is never total and there are always limits and boundaries, some come with a particular situation and others are self-made, others are within relationships and so on. Freedom can also be experienced when accepting 'a new reality' with new boundaries. The term 'thinking outside the box' is a good example of creative psychological freedom in action. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

COVID-19, food and freedom to worship: An analytic approach to Nigeria's religioscape

Thinking about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Slavoj Zizek (Pandemic: Covid-19 Shakes the World. New York and London: Or Books, 2020: 3) says: "It is only now, when I have to avoid many of those who are close to me, that I fully experience their presence, their importance to me." The outbreak of the COVID-19 and its global spread have continued to have diverse effects on humanity. Some literature, commentaries, policies and preliminary studies have since been had focusing on different dimensions of the pandemic at global levels. Although a few theological and religious commentaries have emerged, this present work focuses on the polemic undergirding food and freedom (to worship) discourse, which is in turn defining the relationship between the church and state in Nigeria. Why would the government place higher premium on food by allowing the markets to open and shut down religious houses? When is food more important than freedom or freedom more important than food? These questions and more others become pertinent in the sudden awareness that COVID-19 has placed on humanity. Using historical and theological approaches, I will analyze how the sharp realization of the importance of food and freedom during COVID-19 is affecting the secularity of Nigeria. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023. All rights reserved.

Existential challenges for business leaders post-pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has been referred to as an 'existential crisis'. It is true to say that for some businesses and organisations the pandemic has indeed been a crisis, and one which they did not survive. It has been an anxious time for business leaders and unfortunately the impact of the pandemic has resulted in many established businesses going under and many people losing their jobs. It is certainly true that the pandemic experience has brought existential issues such as uncertainty, anxiety, time and temporality, meaning, authenticity and relatedness more to the forefront, not just for individuals but also for organisations. The business world, with its five-year plans and milestones, and the conventions of an office based 9-5 business model, has been severely tested by the pandemic. Post-pandemic a company may find that its intangible assets, such as intellectual property, winning brands, innovative ideas and, most importantly, talented staff are now equally, if not more, important that its hard assets. The pandemic has been experienced by some as a loss of freedom. Many found it difficult to take on the freedom and responsibility to structure their own time;they missed colleagues and the ease of immediate consultation and feedback. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Holes at the Bottom of the Boat: Disrupting Performative Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Efforts in Libraries in the Wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic

This article seeks to understand the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has tested the effectiveness of library-based equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts. In the early days of the pandemic, libraries closed their doors and pivoted to digital services and programs, resources often inaccessible to BIPOC and low-income users. Since reopening, libraries have found that the lack of diversity in their ranks and information curation is compromising their ability to actualize the equity, diversity, and inclusion goals—objectives that are critical to closing the socioeconomic gaps that the pandemic has only widened. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Library Administration is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

'Without music, life would be a mistake': The experience of a musician in Covid-19 times

The history of music and art is interwoven with the history of civilisation itself and how societies develop and ultimately express themselves beyond 'better farming', 'better commerce', or 'better killing of armies'. The relatedness to self as a professional musician, whose music had the potential to cause emotional responses in others and even, occasionally, change lives, was perceived differently by others, most importantly the government. Certainly the sense of authenticity as a musician took some wild turns over the course of 2020. Some of the emotions were universal, while others were specifically linked to the status as a musician. Poet laureate of power, herald of freedom-the musician is at the same time within society, which protects, purchases, and finances him, and outside it, when he threatens it with his visions. How musicians relate to audiences and to the political system was a challenge highlighted by the pandemic. There were new ways of connecting with other artists, and to the 'atomised' audiences of the lockdown. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

'There will be no law, or people to protect us': Irregular Southeast Asian seasonal workers in Taiwan before and during the pandemic

This paper investigates the everyday lived realities of Southeast Asian migrant workers who left the formal sector of the labour market and entered the informal agricultural sector before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan. Drawing on observations of migrants' daily lives and farm work and 19 in-depth interviews, it delves into migrants' subjective experiences of vulnerability, paternalism, exploitation, and control at work due to a lack of legal protection and the illegality of their employment. Although the literature has identified a link between 'running away' from formal employment and seeking freedom, this research suggests a continuum between experiences of work in the formal and informal economic sectors. The paper sheds new light on mobility, work, illegality, and informality and how these have constantly shaped 'runaway' workers' subjective experiences of freedom and unfreedom during the pandemic.

Raise Your Voice!? German Artists' Protest Campaign #allesdichtmachen and the Question of Freedom of Expression During the Pandemic

Both the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the political and social discussions it forced upon liberal Western democracies on limitations of fundamental rights provide me with the framework for this paper's topic. I will address it through the question of how German artists – in this case mostly TV actors – with the social Media campaign #allesdichtmachen drew attention to their situation in times of widespread lockdown and contact restrictions in spring 2021. The question will be whether the constraints of free expression felt by these artists, or the public reactions to their voicing a sense of being unheard, can be captured by the vocabulary of censorship in the narrower or broader sense. © 2023, Grotowski Institute in Wroclaw. All rights reserved.

Comparative study of the limitations produced to freedom of movement in the European Union during the coronavirus crisis

This article seeks to define the exceptionality in the fulfillment of rights and free-doms of European citizens related to the free movement of people. The situation arising from the COVID-19 pandemic made the members of the European Union and the Schengen Area decide to impose movement restriction measures for citizens and residents in them. These ones, understandable at first due to the uncertainty of a new a new disease, endangered the European system of free movement itself, as well as the relevance of the systems of restriction of this right linked to European citizenship. © GKA Ediciones, authors.

Living in a Democracy as a Fallen People: A REVIEW ESSAY

Rather, it would be more correct to say that Donald Trump found a ready audience for nationalism and postliberal thinking in the United States and rode a seemingly unlikely wave into the White House by semi-miraculously navigating the twists and turns of the Electoral College. COVID-19, of course, has proved to be a breeding ground of predominantly right-wing conspiracy theories, including regarding vaccines even though they were the result of a Trump-led program. [...]he made an argument that Vice President Mike Pence would be able to refuse to certify the election results. Tocqueville approached democracy as a young aristocrat from a family that had suffered in the French Revolution.

Lockdown of expression: civic space restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic as a response to mass protests

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments across the globe implemented severe restrictions of civic freedoms to contain the spread of the virus. The global health emergency posed the risk of governments seizing the pandemic as a window of opportunity to curb (potential) challenges to their power, thereby reinforcing the ongoing, worldwide trend of shrinking civic spaces. In this article, we investigate whether and how governments used the pandemic as a justification to impose restrictions of freedom of expression. Drawing on the scholarship on the causes of civic space restrictions, we argue that governments responded to COVID-19 by curtailing the freedom of expression when they had faced significant contentious political challenges before the pandemic. Our results from a quantitative analysis indeed show that countries who experienced high levels of pro-democracy mobilization before the onset of the pandemic were more likely to see restrictions of the freedom of expression relative to countries with no or low levels of mobilization. Additional three brief case studies (Algeria, Bolivia and India) illustrate the process of how pre-pandemic mass protests fostered the im-position of restrictions on the freedom of expression during the pandemic. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Separation, Loss, Confinement, and Change: How Evagrius Can Speak to the Experience of Lockdown

Separation, loss, confinement, and change have been imposed on entire populations du-ring the Covid-19 pandemic in the form of lockdowns aimed at limiting the spread of the virus. They are also central to Evagrian asceticism, where they establish the conditions for the change at which the monastic life aims, namely to begin to reverse the effects of the fall by restoring the soul to health. This paper examines how they do so in order to gain an understanding of their ascetic function. Following the Introduction, it outlines Evagrius' anthropology in order to lay the groundwork for its main theme, the healing of pathos through the practical life. Separation, loss, and confinement are each considered in turn by referencing Evagrius' descriptions of their ascetic function and his own experience of them. Next, the change at which they aim is described, again drawing upon a range of Evagrian material. The final section of the paper considers how Evagrius can speak to the experience of lockdown by endowing separation, loss, confinement with meaning and purpose in relation to spiritual awakening and growth, highlighting our freedom to choose our attitude to them, and acting as both our guide and our companion. © 2022, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. All rights reserved.