A judge for the US District Court of the Western District of Virginia has ruled that the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) did not violate the rights of a Muslim inmate by not allowing him to grow a beard. The VDOC grooming policy prohibits inmates from growing long hair and beards except for medical reasons. [...]
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in Erica P John Fund v. Halliburton . The court will determine whether investor losses need to be proven by a preponderance of the evidence at the class certification stage prior to full discovery in order for the class action lawsuit to proceed. The US Court of [...]
The Sudan National Elections Commission (NEC) announced on Sunday that an administrative referendum is set for July 1 for residents to determine whether Darfur should continue to be separated into three states or return to one region. State media indicated that a Republican Decree ordered the NEC to schedule the referendum no later than the [...]
The US Supreme Court on Monday denied Virginia’s request for the court to rule on the constitutionality of the health care reform law on an expedited basis. The writ was filed in February by the state’s attorney general, Kenneth Cuccinelli , who sought to have the high court depart from its traditional procedure and instead [...]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called Monday for Syria to immediately halt the killings and violence against civilian protesters. The statement follows major condemnations of the Syrian government’s excessive use of lethal force and other rights violations against protesters. Syrian security forces have been responsible for fatal shootings of peaceful anti-government protesters [...]
WikiLeaks on Sunday began publishing The Guantanamo Files , a collection of more than 700 classified documents relating to the evidence and treatment of almost all detainees held at Guantanamo Bay between 2002 and 2008. The documents—detailing things such as the circumstances of detention, the evidence justifying detention, detainee risk evaluations, and the decision process [...]
Thousands of Moroccans engaged in peaceful demonstrations Sunday demanding greater reform in the new constitution expected to be unveiled in June by King Mohammed VI. The protesters, led by the Facebook youth movement Fevrier 20 rejected the king’s draft of the new constitution because it was written by his own people. Thousands of protesters took [...]
Hungarian President Pal Schmitt signed into law a controversial new constitution on Monday, amid concern from civil society leaders and opposition politicians that the document contravenes European human rights principles. According to a statement released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) , the new constitution “enshrines discrimination,” and jeopardizes the rights of people with disabilities, women [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Sunday requested that the United Nations (UN) begin an international inquiry into Syria’s security forces after numerous civilians were fatally shot during peaceful anti-government protests earlier this week. HRW also called on the US and UN to issue sanctions against Syrian government officials who are responsible for the excessive use [...]
A judge for the US District Court for the Central District of California on Friday dismissed Bank of America (BOA) from a $17 billion lawsuit involving securities based on mortgages issued by Countrywide Financial Corporation , a former subsidiary of the bank. The class action suit was filed by a number of investors who claim [...]
