By: Abbagail Badley
“Today is a victory!” These were the words I heard from my French colleagues on Thursday, June 8th, in the European Center for Global Justice (“ECLJ”) office in Strasbourg, France. And, just as you might be wondering what that victory was, I, too, was wondering the same thing. The European Court of Human Rights (“ECtHR”) had just delivered a judgment that morning regarding an anti-abortion law in Poland. This law made abortions based on genetic abnormalities illegal, protecting the lives of thousands of children. This case was first appealed to the ECtHR in January of 2021 and had thus been pending for over two years. The ECLJ, as an international NGO, intervened in the case and advocated that the Law in Poland be upheld, speaking on behalf of the thousands of babies the law was saving. So, why was this case a victory? Well, the ECtHR dismissed the case for insufficient grounds and upheld the Polish law. This victory was a firsthand example of the type of work the ECLJ does, and it cemented my excitement about being involved in the work and mission of the ECLJ.
Since the Poland victory, the Director of the ECLJ asked me to work on a report concerning religious liberties in the Court of Justice for the European Union (“CJEU”). During my research for the report, I learned about the process of taking an appeal to the CJEU and the current status of religious liberties in the European Union. This research was entirely new to me, and I enjoyed learning to navigate the research platform for the CJEU and the judgments of the justices on the CJEU.
The religious liberties research was the tip of the iceberg for my future research. Shortly after researching the CJEU, my co-intern, Caleb, and I started a research project we worked on for a couple of weeks regarding the constitutionalization and/or decriminalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide throughout different countries. We learned to navigate the court websites of over 15 different countries and, from our research, provided an ECLJ colleague with a comprehensive report on euthanasia and assisted suicide.
The Poland victory, CJEU, and euthanasia/assisted suicide reports exemplify how my time with the ECLJ has taught me more than I could imagine about human rights and religious liberties in the context of international law. I am honored to have worked alongside the ECLJ staff to protect and advocate for international human rights.
Additionally, my trip to Strasbourg was the first plane ride I have ever been on, and—as I’m sure can be surmised—my first trip to Europe! The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to travel since I have been here, and I have visited Paris, Germany, Switzerland, and Luxembourg! To be on a whole different continent and know that the same Creator who made the Black Forest made my WV mountains back home was an awe-inspiring experience. I loved exploring Europe and seeing the Lord’s handiwork in the countries and cities I visited. This trip has grown and shaped me in ways I could never have anticipated, and I am thankful for the work experience and traveling memories I can take home to the U.S. with me.
This post was written by a student at Regent University School of Law. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.