The UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) released a report Wednesday describing human rights violations committed by soldiers of the Forces armèes de la Rèpublique dèmocratique du Congo (FARDC) and agents of the Police Nationale Congolaise (PNC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that resulted in the deaths of at least 40 people. The [...]
A Dutch court in the northern city of Assen ruled Wednesday that the Netherlands Petroleum Company (NAM) is liable for the emotional suffering of claimants whose homes were damaged from earthquakes caused by drilling. NAM is jointly owned by ExxonMobil and Shell . The complaint involves 127 plaintiffs who are seeking financial compensation for non-material [...]
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday in Dean v. United States . The court must determine whether its decision in Pepper v. United States limits the discretion of district courts in considering mandatory consecutive sentences for defendants convicted of firearms offenses under 18 USC § 924(C) . This statute requires that a [...]
Spain’s Supreme Court dismissed a petition on Tuesday that sought to exhume the body of former dictator Francisco Franco and move the remains to a different location. Baltasar Garzón, a former judge, proposed to the court in November 2015 that the Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen), Franco’s resting place, be turned into [...]
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Tuesday that the federal government should stop spending money to sue local police departments. In a speech to the National Association of Attorney Generals , Sessions stated that the government should focus its resources on help police combat crime. Sessions announced the formation of a Justice Department task [...]
Prisons in Thailand are failing to meet international standards, according to a report published Tuesday by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) . The report discussed how Thailand has the sixth highest prison population in the world and a host of other problems such as severe overcrowding, highest incarcerated population of women, “nadequate access [...]
The Court of Appeals in Trento, Italy , ruled Tuesday that the names of both same-sex partners should be listed on their child’s birth certificate. The court held that both fathers should have their names on the birth certificate even though only one person is the biological father. The court found that even though the [...]
UNICEF on Tuesday announced an increased risk of abuse of migrant women and children along the central Mediterranean trade route. A Deadly Journey for Children: The Central Mediterranean Migration Route looked at the instances of abuse and violence against African migrant trying to reach Europe. The report found that women and children are in danger [...]
The Bangladesh Parliament on Monday passed revisions to the Child Marriage Restraint Act , allowing girls under the age of 18 to be married under “special circumstances.” The revisions do not change the minimum marriage age requirements set in 1929. Instead, they designate a committee of local officials to review individual cases of underage marriage [...]
Gun rights advocates are allowed to publish personal information, such as addresses and telephone numbers, of legislators who voted in favor of California’s recent gun control laws, a federal judge ruled Monday. Chief Judge Lawrence O’Neill of the US District Court for the Eastern District of California issued a preliminary injunction against California Government Code [...]
