Swiss voters on Sunday approved a proposal to ban the construction of minarets. The results of the nationwide referendum revealed that more than 57 percent of Swiss voters support the constitutional ban against the construction of the Islamic towers. In response to the vote, the Swiss Federal Council stated: The Federal Council and a clear [...]
The first legally binding international treaty aimed at combating ships involved in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been approved by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) governing Conference. The Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing is a landmark treaty aimed at efficient prevention [...]
A Beijing court on Friday began hearing the first civil lawsuit by a family of an infant sickened during last year's melamine-tainted milk scandal . Ma Xuexin brought suit against the bankrupt dairy company Sanlu and a Beijing supermarket that sold the contaminated milk, seeking damages for his son's medical expenses that are not covered [...]
The Supreme Court of Canada on Friday upheld the right of Wal-Mart Inc. , the world's largest retailer, to close its operations in Jonquiere, Quebec, shortly after a union attempted to organize employees in 2005. In a 6-3 decision, the court held that there was no law or precedent that forced an employer to stay [...]
Accused former Khmer Rouge leader Kaing Guek Eav , more commonly known as "Duch," unexpectedly asked to be released at the close of his trial on Friday. His request before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) was a complete departure from his previous conduct, as he has cooperated with the trial and [...]
Enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was delayed Friday until June 1, 2010, according to a joint statement from the US Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve . The UIGEA, which bans banks and financial institutions from intentionally accepting payments from credit cards, checks, or electronic fund transfers related to unlawful Internet [...]
Italian judges announced Friday that the corruption trial of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will resume on December 4. The trial had been temporarily halted after the court ruled against Berlusconi's claim for immunity while he is in office. The trial is set to re-open amid controversy surrounding a bill that Berlusconi's supporters have introduced [...]
Plourde v. Wal-Mart Canada Corp., Supreme Court of Canada, November 27, 2009 . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here. Latest commentary available here. JURIST has more on legal issues surrounding Wal-Mart.
The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has ruled that the execution of Kenneth Biros could proceed as scheduled, overturning a stay of execution issued by the district court last month. The appeals court held Wednesday that the change to the execution procedure in Ohio removed the legal question from the case: he [...]
Phyllis Gerstenfeld : "This week, the FBI reported a 2% increase in hate crimes in 2008, as compared to the previous year. While hate crimes are an important problem in the United States (and abroad), this reported increase itself should be grounds for neither particular concern nor comfort. The reason for this is that the [...]
