The UN appointed a team of special prosecutors on Wednesday to investigate allegations that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has ordered forces to torture and abduct opponents. Although a probe was launched last week in the International Criminal Court (ICC) , special rapporteur for torture Juan Mendez clarified that this probe is different because he and [...]
A defense lawyer representing former Liberian president Charles Taylor on Tuesday accused the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) of political bias during his closing arguments in Taylor’s trial in The Hague on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. British defense lawyer Courtenay Griffiths called the trial a “21st-century form of neo-colonialism” and [...]
JURIST Contributing Editor L. Ali Khan, Professor of Law at Washburn University says the Congressional hearings proposed by Representative King violate the dignity of individual Muslim Americans, encourage over-generalizations that promote public panic and fear, and reveal inflated concerns for homeland security… Despite calls to stop the proposed Congressional hearings on the inflammatory topic of, [...]
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday appealed a ruling in the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida declaring the health care reform law unconstitutional . On Friday, Judge Roger Vinson granted the Obama administration’s petition to stay his previous order on the condition that an appeal would be filed within [...]
The Texas House of Representatives on Monday voted 107-42 to approve legislation that requires women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound before the procedure is performed. The bill requires doctors to conduct a vaginal ultrasound and display the images at least 24 hours prior to an abortion, and would strip them of their medical [...]
A judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Monday issued a preliminary injunction barring the enforcement of a recent Ecuadorian court judgment against US oil company Chevron . The injunction blocks plaintiffs from attempting to secure $8.6 billion in damages from the company, which were awarded last month [...]
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday issued summons for six Kenyans suspected of inciting the 2007-2008 post-election violence . In December, ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo identified the six suspects, including current Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and several Ministry heads. All six are believed to have fomented violence, rape and destruction of [...]
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday ordered two Darfur rebel leaders to stand trial for war crimes. Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain (Banda) and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus (Jerbo) are suspected in connection with the September 2007 attack on African Union (AU) peacekeeping troops at Haskanita , which resulted in the death of 12 peacekeepers. [...]
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Tuesday ordered both Costa Rica and Nicaragua to remove all personnel from the disputed border region. Costa Rica filed a complaint with the ICJ in November accusing Nicaragua of violating its territorial integrity and damaging protected wetlands. Tuesday’s order is a preliminary measure while the case is pending [...]
A judge for the US District Court for the District of Alaska refused Monday to order Exxon Mobil to pay an additional $92 million in damages from the Exxon Valdez oil spill . Under a 1991 settlement agreement, Exxon paid $900 million in civil damages. The US and Alaskan government sought in 2006 to reopen [...]
