The Arizona Attorney General filed a suit on Thursday asking for an injunction on portions of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) , arguing that it is unconstitutional for a state to clear any voting regulations with the Department of Justice (DOJ) . Section 5 requires states to clear changes in voting districts, polling places and [...]
Amnesty International (AI) on Friday urged the Brazilian government to revoke the 1979 Amnesty Law , which shields military officials from prosecution for crimes committed during the country’s 1964-1985 military dictatorship. In December, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that the amnesty law is invalid and that Brazil is responsible for the disappearance of [...]
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a new regulation on Thursday requiring employers to post their employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act in the workplace. These rights include the right to unionize, to bargain collectively and to refuse pressures to do either. The poster also gives some examples of unfair business and [...]
The Chief Justice of Hungary, Andras Baka, has petitioned the Hungarian Supreme Court to review a recently enacted law that he claims gives prosecutors too much power and violates the European Convention on Human Rights and the Hungarian Constitution . The law, enacted in July, enables prosecutors to choose their venue, increases the detainment period [...]
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tomas Ojea Quintana on Thursday urged the government of Myanmar to investigate human rights abuses and improve its rights record . Speaking at the end of his five-day mission to Myanmar, Quintana said that the government must do more to fulfill its international human [...]
The Taiwan High Court on Friday overturned the conviction of former president Chen Shui-bian on charges of embezzling state funds but sentenced him to additional jail time on charges of money-laundering and forgery. The court had previously sentenced Chen to 20 years in prison on embezzlement charges, but the Supreme Court ordered a retrial in [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on Wednesday ruled against five states in their latest efforts to stop Asian carp from overrunning the Great Lakes. Officials fear that the 100-pound fish, which reproduce rapidly, could wipe out native species and destroy the $7 billion Great Lakes fishing industry. Although all parties agree [...]
JURIST Guest Columnist Kevin Govern of Ave Maria School of Law says that members of the Gaddafi regime must be brought to justice in accordance with international law and should not be allowed to go into exile like other dictators in the region…
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Thursday gave former Serbian general and alleged war criminal Ratko Mladic six days to respond to a motion to split his trial . The ICTY hopes to hold one trial for his conduct during the Srebrenica massacre , where approximately 8,000 people were killed, and [...]
The Supreme Court of El Salvador on Wednesday blocked the arrests and extradition of nine former soldiers accused of committing the 1989 “Jesuit Massacre,” defying Interpol red notices for the suspects. The court said that Spain had not presented a formal extradition request in its attempts to prosecute the individuals through universal jurisdiction , stating [...]
