The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in two cases. In Carachuri-Rosendo v. Holder , the court heard arguments on whether a person convicted under state law for simple drug possession (a federal law misdemeanor) has been "convicted" of an "aggravated felony" on the theory that he could have been prosecuted for recidivist simple [...]

Shady Grove Orthopedic Associates, P.A. v. Allstate Insurance Co., US Supreme Court, March 31, 2010 . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here. Latest commentary available here. JURIST has more on class actions.

Padilla v. Kentucky, US Supreme Court, March 31, 2010 . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here. Latest commentary available here. JURIST has more on the right to counsel.

Executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Yvo de Boer said Wednesday that it is unlikely a new climate change treaty will be concluded until 2011. After the Copenhagen summit (COP15) in December failed to produce a binding agreement, de Boer expressed hope that the next annual meeting in November in [...]

A Belgian parliamentary committee voted unanimously Wednesday to ban the Islamic burqa and other "full veils" from being worn in public. The proposed legislation applies to areas "accessible to the public" or areas meant for "public use or to provide public services." Violators could face a penalty of up to seven days in jail or [...]

An Indian court on Wednesday heard final arguments in the trial of Mohammed Ajmal Kasab , accused of participating in the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks , bringing the yearlong proceedings to a close. The court heard from more than 600 prosecution witnesses and two members of the National Security Guard who responded to the [...]

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday granted the request of chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo to investigate the deadly violence perpetrated after the 2007 Kenyan presidential election . Earlier this month, Ocampo submitted the names of 20 senior political and business leaders who allegedly "bear the gravest responsibility" for the post-election violence. The ICC's decision [...]

Azizah al-Hibri and William H. Taft, IV : "Imagine your neighbor had been born and raised in Jamaica. Twenty years ago, he moved to the United States to marry an American woman and start a family. Your neighbor has a good job that enables him to support his family. He has had only one minor [...]

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled 7-2 in Padilla v. Kentucky that the Sixth Amendment guarantee of effective assistance of counsel requires a criminal defense lawyer to advise a non-citizen client that pleading guilty to an aggravated felony will trigger mandatory, automatic deportation. The Supreme Court of Kentucky ruled that a guilty plea induced [...]

The Serbian Parliament adopted a declaration early Wednesday morning condemning the 1995 Srebrenica massacre , in which 8,000 Muslims were killed. After a day-long debate, "The Declaration of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Condemning the Crime in Srebrenica" was passed by a narrow margin, with 127 out 250 members voting in its [...]