As international legal organisations designate the United States as the focus country for the 2026 Day of the Endangered Lawyer, and Virginia federal judges move to replace improperly appointed prosecutors, the rule of law faces unprecedented pressure. Yet amid widespread calls for faster outcomes and streamlined processes, we're forgetting something crucial: the deliberate pace of legal processes isn't a bug in the system—it's actually a feature that protects us all.

Diplomatic immunity, one of international law's oldest and most successful frameworks, faces a legitimacy crisis as high-profile abuses collide with contemporary demands for accountability. While the 1961 Vienna Convention remains essential for protecting diplomats from political persecution, reforming immunity without undermining the reciprocal protections that keep diplomats safe worldwide requires careful multilateral coordination—not unilateral action that could endanger envoys in hostile environments.