The US District Court of the Central District of California Friday ended the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) consent decree to federal oversight that the LAPD was forced into in 2001 resulting from US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division pressure after the Rampart Area Corruption Incident . Judge Gary Feess, Jr., who had presided [...]

The US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee will launch an investigation into plans by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to assassinate al Qaeda members, the Committee announced Friday. The Committee has already requested documents from the CIA and will likely hold hearings, according to Committee-member Jan Schakowsky . The Committee hopes to learn whether former [...]

The Obama administration may create a special unit of interrogators to handle certain terror suspects, the Wall St. Journal reported Saturday, citing unidentified government officials. In creating the unit, the administration would reduce the role of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in interrogating suspects as the CIA has faced criticism for its interrogation techniques during [...]

American Academy, et al. v. Napolitano, et al., US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, July 17, 2009 . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here. Latest commentary available here. JURIST has more on the Tariq Ramadan case.

Sharif v. State, Supreme Court of Pakistan, July 17, 2009 . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here. Latest commentary available here. JURIST has more on Nawaz Sharif.

Saki Bacha v. Obama, et al., US District Court for the District of Columbia, July 17, 2009 . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here. Latest commentary available here. JURIST has more on Mohammed Jawad.

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled Friday in favor of three organizations that had challenged the denial of a visa to a controversial Swiss Muslim scholar, reviving their claim. Tariq Ramadan had been invited to teach at the University of Notre Dame in 2004, but the government denied his visa, citing [...]

Chinese officials from Beijing's Civil Affairs Bureau on Friday shut down the legal research center of the Gongmeng human rights group. Officials confiscated computers and other equipment, telling staff that the center was not properly registered . A lawyer for Gongmeng said that the research center was part of Gongmeng, which is properly registered. A [...]

Finance expert William Brodsky on Friday called for the merger of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) . Brodsky and others testified before the US House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services to discuss Obama administration proposals for financial regulatory reform. The Chicago Board Options Exchange CEO maintained [...]

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday acquitted opposition leader Nawaz Sharif on charges of hijacking a plane carrying General Pervez Musharraf in 1999. The conviction had barred Sharif from running for office, although the court lifted the ban in May. It was alleged that then-prime minister Sharif ordered Musharraf's return flight to the country [...]