Harvard law professor Vicki Jackson argued in a brief filed Thursday that the US Supreme Court does not have the power to review the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 (DOMA) . Upon agreeing to review the constitutionality of DOMA’s Section 3 in United States v. Windsor , the court invited [...]
Lawmakers for the Sejm of the Republic of Poland on Friday dismissed three pieces of proposed legislation that would have given restricted legal rights to unmarried same-sex and opposite-sex couples by way of civil union. The legislation collectively sought to grant unmarried couples a means of official registration as legal entities with rights including the [...]
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Friday praised a recent report as “a groundbreaking basis for action against violence against women in India.” The report advocates for reform in various aspects of Indian life including political, judicial and cultural. The most extensive recommendation is for changing the manner in which police [...]
A German court ruled on Thursday that people have a right to claim money damages from service providers for disrupted Internet access. The Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe declared the Internet an “essential” part of life and, in accordance with German law which requires compensation for the loss of use of essential material items, [...]
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) , Pakistan’s principal agency to combat government corruption, to file a second set of criminal corruption charges against Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf . The charges are a response to accusations that Ashraf may have enabled Tauqir Sadiq, former chairman of Pakistan’s Oil and [...]
The Russian State Duma on Friday approved the first reading of a bill that would ban the promotion of homosexuality among children. The bill, if passed, would likely ban any event in Russia that promotes gay rights . The bill would also impose stiff fines on individuals who “promote homosexuality among minors,” although it does [...]
The British government introduced legislation on Friday to legalize same-sex marriage in England and Wales. The bill would extend the UK’s Marriage Act of 1949 to apply to same-sex couples as well as opposite-sex couples. The bill also contains exceptions for clergy members who do not wish to perform same-sex weddings. Same-sex couples in England [...]
Rwandan genocide suspect Innocent Musabyimana was arrested Tuesday in France on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. Rwandan officials issued an arrest warrant for Musabyimana in November. Prosecutors in Rwanda have requested that Musabyimana be extradited to Rwanda where he will stand trial for charges of genocide, murder, and rape, in connection to the [...]
The Rhode Island House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in the state. The bill passed by a vote of 51-19 after a lengthy debate on the House floor. Rhode Island is currently the only state in New England that has not legalized same-sex marriage, and previous attempts to [...]
The UN Compensation Commission (UNCC) on Thursday announced a disbursement of $1.3 billion to two claimants who suffered damages during Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The two claimants were compensated for destruction of Kuwait’s oil field assets. The UNCC, which was established by the UN in 1991 to process claims and pay compensation for [...]
