Criminal justice

Publications1 January 1970

'Disrupt and vilify': The war on immigrants inside the US war on drugs

The Drug Policy Alliance and Human Rights Watch presents recommendations on immigration and drug laws that disproportionately affect migrants

Publications31 March 2026

Saudi Arabia’s drug-related executions violate international law — Opinion No. 71/2025 by the by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

UN experts say that Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty for drug offences violates international law, highlighting serious due process violations and discriminatory impacts on foreign nationals.

Publications31 March 2026

INCB Annual Report 2025

The INCB examines mounting pressures on the global drug control system, from synthetic drugs and access to medicines to increasing fragmentation within the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

News2 March 2026

‘Worrying’ War on Drugs Rhetoric Comes with Human, Financial Costs

The renewed 'war on drugs” narrative is driving repression and rights abuses, despite clear evidence that punitive policies have failed.

Publications16 February 2026

Confiscations, public health obstructions, and perpetual displacement: Experiences and perspectives on urban law enforcement practices during a period of 'recriminalization' among people who use criminalized drugs

Singh Kelsall et al. find that harmful policing practices persisted during British Columbia’s decriminalisation pilot and subsequent recriminalisation, including confiscations, displacement and interference with overdose response.

News12 February 2026

South Africa: Crime, cartels and corruption — The drug policy debate we refuse to have

Punitive drug laws are fuelling corruption, strengthening illicit markets and misdirecting police resources, while failing to improve community safety.

News12 February 2026

Maldives reintroduces death penalty for drug trafficking amid conservative push before council polls

President Muizzu’s raft of socially conservative measures illustrates how criminal law reforms are used for electoral gain.

News12 February 2026

Why Europe should avoid the trap of repressive drug policy

The European Commission’s proposed 2026–2030 EU Drugs Strategy shifts emphasis toward enforcement and border control, prompting calls to prioritise harm reduction, housing, community-based care and rights-based approaches.

Blog20 January 2026

What to expect from 2026: Defending drug policy reform through dark times

As drug policy reform faces renewed repression and securitisation worldwide, 2026 will test whether evidence, human rights and community leadership can still reshape a system under strain — and where the next openings for change may emerge.

News15 January 2026

Maldives: Parliament approves death penalty for major drug trafficking cases

Maldives’ parliament has unanimously approved a landmark amendment allowing the death penalty for major drug trafficking cases.

Publications14 January 2026

A call for inclusive language: Advancing a human rights-based approach to criminal justice at the United Nations

Perseus Strategies and allies call on the UN to replace stigmatising criminal justice language with person-centred terminology to advance a human rights-based approach to justice, dignity and social reintegration.

News7 January 2026

Venezuela: No to the 'war on drugs' as a pretext for U.S. intervention

Civil society groups from around the world reject the 'war on drugs' narrative being used to justify pressure, interference, and intervention in Venezuela—warning of militarisation, human rights violations, and dangerous regional precedents.

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