The US Supreme Court on Tuesday heard oral arguments in Bond v. United States on whether a criminal defendant may challenge the constitutionality of a federal criminal statute under the Tenth Amendment . Carol Anne Bond was charged with burning her husband’s mistress using poisonous chemicals and was indicted under a federal law created to [...]
The US Supreme Court on Tuesday granted certiorari in two cases. In Pacific Operations Offshore, LLP v. Valladolid , the court will consider when an outer continental shelf worker, injured on land, is eligible for compensation under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) . The OCSLA governs those who work on oil drilling platforms [...]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Tuesday that the Libyan government’s response to recent protests may amount to crimes against humanity . Pillay cited the use of machine guns, snipers and military planes against protesters, calling for an independent investigation. She also urged an immediate end to the serious human rights violations, [...]
A Thai court on Tuesday released on bail seven “red shirt” opposition leaders detained during anti-government protests that began last March. The leaders were arrested last spring on terrorism charges during the demonstrations. During their detention, red shirts organized peaceful rallies calling for the opposition leaders to be released. Red shirt supporters applauded the court’s [...]
The US Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled 6-2 in Bruesewitz v. Wyeth that section 22(b)(1) of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 provides blanket immunity to vaccine manufacturers from all tort actions filed in state or federal court alleging design defects. The issue in this case arises from the text of the section [...]
The US Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled 7-2 in CSX Transportation, Inc. v. Alabama Department of Revenue that a railroad may challenge sales and use taxes that apply to rail carriers but exempt their competitors in the transportation industry. Railroads pay a 4 percent sales tax and a 4 percent use tax to the state [...]
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has combined two separate criminal cases and concluded the pre-trial investigation of opposition leader and former primer minister Yulia Tymoshenko . Tymoshenko was called in for questioning Monday by the PGO and was presented with the charges. The proceedings lasted about two hours before the PGO concluded the pre-trial [...]
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) began the trial of former Serb nationalist politician Vojislav Seselj Tuesday on charges that he released the names of 11 ICTY witnesses in violation of a confidentiality order. ICTY prosecutors say that Seselj divulged the names in a book he wrote and on his website . [...]
Egypt’s chief prosecutor on Monday requested that Foreign Ministry officials take steps to freeze any foreign assets belonging to former president Hosni Mubarak and his family.Prosecutor Abdel Magid made the request even though Mubarak submitted a declaration of wealth indicating that he possessed no foreign assets. Mahmud stated that the freeze would apply to Mubarak, [...]
Indian President Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil announced Monday that the government will work to eradicate corruption. In her address to both houses of Parliament to open the budget session, Patil stated that India will take measures to ratify the UN Convention Against Corruption and that it will take other legislative and administrative measures necessary to [...]
