Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) invalidated 1.3 million votes Wednesday due to findings of fraud during last month’s parliamentary election . The ballots, constituting nearly one-fourth of the 5.6 million votes cast nationwide , were thrown out due to findings by the IEC that the 2,543 polling stations that the votes had been cast at [...]
A US soldier is currently being held in connection with the fatal shooting on Sunday of a Taliban detainee, who was found dead in a holding cell in Kandahar province, according to US Forces in Afghanistan . The US Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) and Afghanistan officials have launched individual investigations into the death. Officials [...]
Chairperson of the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) Claudio Grossman on Tuesday urged nations to “reconnect with the values” of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and increase efforts to combat torture . Grossman stated that the need for heightened measures is particularly important in emergency situations where [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday condemned a ruling by the UAE Federal Supreme Court affirming a “husband right to discipline his wife” as a violation of UAE treaty obligations. The ruling upheld a man’s right to discipline his children and wife as long as he leaves no physical marks. The case involved a man [...]
The UK Supreme Court set new precedent Wednesday by ruling in favor of recognizing a pre-nuptial agreement during divorce proceedings. The decision affirmed an appellate court decision that honored a pre-nuptial agreement between German heiress Katrin Radmacher and her ex-husband, which was intended to shield her assets. The Supreme Court made no distinction between the [...]
The Indian government introduced a new court system Tuesday that will handle only environmental litigation. The National Green Tribunal, which was established by the Indian Parliament in June under the National Green Tribunal Act , will consist of a chairperson, and a maximum of 20 judicial officers, as well as 20 environmental experts. Environmental Minister [...]
Judge Virginia Phillips of the US District Court of the Central District of California on Tuesday denied the Obama administration’s request to stay her order requiring the US military to end enforcement of its controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy. Two days after Phillips issued the permanent injunction , the federal government filled an [...]
A judge for the US District Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday denied the habeas corpus petition of Afghan Guantanamo Bay detainee Obaidullah . While Obaidullah has denied the charges against him, Judge Richard Leon noted that he has changed his story several times. The court cited evidence presented by the US government [...]
The French Court of Cassation ruled Tuesday that all persons in custody of French law enforcement, including terrorism suspects, are entitled to consult with lawyers from the outset of criminal proceedings. Sitting en banc, the court ruled that France’s current rules regarding custody contravene the Article 6 right to a fair trial of the European [...]
The US Department of Defense (DOD) announced Tuesday that openly gay men and women are now allowed to sign up to serve in the in US armed forces, following a recent court order striking down the controversial “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy . The DOD issued a directive on Friday to all recruiting stations [...]
