Making a difference

Not many people could possibly give up a Supreme Court seat for a job presenting a greater opportunity to change the lives of many people. But Louise Arbour did just that, and her efforts are paying off:

Ms. Arbour met this week with the president of China's supreme court, cabinet ministers and several activist groups and signed an agreement to help China enact legal reforms that would pave the way for its ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The article (quite rightly) points out that there are a lot of serious human-rights problems in China which Arbour is also trying to call attention to. But the positive here shouldn't go unnoticed: one of the world's most severe human-rights violators is on the verge of agreeing to international standards. It's a small step, but a necessary one.