With the arrival of betting platforms and apps in Brazil, discussions about their impacts are on the rise. These games, which promise quick fun, and easy rewards, often trap players in a dangerous mental loop: the myth of the next move. It is the illusion that just one more round will recover all previous losses….

“Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears.” Surely some mistake, I thought; shouldn’t it be the other way round? Swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning-hooks? It was during Evensong at the magnificent Liverpool Cathedral a few weeks ago that this reading from the Old Testament Book of the prophet Joel caught…

Nadja: Irakli , thanks for making the time for this chat. Before we start, can you say a little bit about your role in mediation in Georgia and the region?Irakli: Thank you for inviting me and expressing interest towards Georgian mediation. I hold several roles in the development of mediation in Georgia: as the Chairman…

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supported by the European Union, established a “Support to Justice Initiatives Curbing Corruption and Promoting Commercial Dispute Resolution Programme” in Iraq in 2021. As part of that programme, the UNDP organised two intensive courses in commercial mediation for university law faculties in January and February 2024, taking place in…

In recent months, Brazilian startups such as Hurb and 123 Milhas, two prominent players in the country’s tourism market, have encountered significant financial challenges. These companies offered highly attractive promotional travel packages at exceptionally low prices, creating a large customer base. However, when the financial pressures grew, both companies found themselves unable to fulfill some…

I’m not really a fan of musicals so I was rather surprised to find myself responding to a friend’s recommendation and booking tickets for of ‘Hamilton’. Having taken the plunge I went further and started on Ron Chernow’s epic biography of Alexander Hamilton. Both the performance and the book are excellent. The show is great…

Hong Kong has recently passed a piece of legislation with the good intention of protecting children from serious abuse and protecting the specified professionals for making the mandatory reports. Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (Cap. 650) (“the Ordinance”) was gazetted on 19 July 2024 and it is understood that the legislation will come into…

In a previous post, I explored how the Disney movie “Inside Out” cleverly illustrated the complexity of human emotions through the story of a young girl named Riley and her anthropomorphized feelings. Today, I want to analyze the newly released second part of the film, which follows Riley’s journey as she steps into adolescence. A…

On April 25th, 2024, I had the privilege to speak at the V SIFRA Seminar on Innovations and Tools for Revenue Recovery and Alternative Revenues (SIFRA). The event, acronym for Fiscal Innovations Seminar, is a renowned gathering that brings together bright minds to discuss ideas, research, and innovative solutions, always with a focus on municipal…

Mr. Paul Lam SC has been the Secretary for Justice (SJ) of the Hong Kong SAR Government since July 1, 2022. Prior to joining the government, Mr. Lam had a distinguished career as a Senior Counsel in private practice, specializing in general civil and commercial proceedings. He was called to the Hong Kong Bar in…