JURIST Guest Columnist Robert O’Neil of the University of Virginia School of Law says that video games, an area of expression that was once thought to not qualify for constitutional protection, are now rightfully and unanimously accepted as warranting First Amendment protection… Now that the dust has settled over the violent video game case, it [...]
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected two appeals from Swiss Muslims challenging Switzerland’s ban on construction of minarets. The court ruled that the appeals were inadmissible because the complaints failed to meet the requirements of Article 35 Section 3 and 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights . Specifically, the court found [...]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Sunday urged Senegal not to deport former Chadian president Hissene Habre back to Chad, where he has been sentenced to death. Pillay advised Senegal to review its decision to return Habre, citing a possible violation of international law due to the absence of guarantees that he [...]
Lawyers associated with Thailand’s outgoing ruling Democrat Party filed papers with the Election Commission on Friday challenging the Puea Thai party’s election victory. The filings seek to dissolve the Puea Thai party on grounds that the party’s campaign involved former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and other banned politicians. A spokesperson for the Democrat Party denied [...]
The Republic of South Sudan was recognized as an independent country on Saturday, making it the world’s 193rd nation. In the capital city of Juba, President Salva Kiir was sworn in for a four-year term, in which he hopes to lead the world’s newest nation into a time marked by less corruption and violence. After [...]
An Italian appeals court on Saturday ordered Fininvest , a holding company owned by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi , to pay 560 million euros (USD 801 million) in damages and fees to Compagnie Industriali Riunite (CIR) Group . The ruling represents a reduction from the 750 million euro award originally imposed by the Court of [...]
The US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on Friday charged three Somali pirates with 26 counts for acts of piracy in the hijacking of a US vessel that resulted in the deaths of four US citizens. If convicted, the men could face death sentences for a majority of the counts, which include [...]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Friday criticized the US execution of Mexican national Humberto Leal Garcia a day earlier, saying that the sentence violated international law. Pillay said that the US denied consular access to Leal Garcia, which was his right under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations [...]
Laura Rivera Marinero & Carmina Castro : Recently, UN Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Gabriela Knaul warned that an El Salvador law requiring its high court to issue unanimous judgments was an “attack” on judicial independence and the separation of powers. The pressure continues to build since both parties continue with a [...]
The UN Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries on Friday proposed international legislation to create mechanisms for prosecuting contractors and mercenaries when they violate the law. The Chairman of the UN Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries, Jose Luis Gomez del Prado, said in a press conference that there is currently a gap [...]
