The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday blocked enforcement of the Mandatory Delay Law , which requires that a woman wait for 24 hours after receiving counseling from a physician before she can have an abortion. The law was deemed unconstitutional by the four-justice majority because it was found to violate a woman’s right to privacy. [...]
The Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a florist that refused to sell flowers to a same-sex couple for their wedding violated the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) . The WLAD bars “unfair practices of places of public resort, accommodation, assemblage, amusement.” According to the opinion, the florist argued that the WLAD did not apply [...]
The Netherlands has proposed new legislation that will empower its government to block or undo mergers in the telecommunications sector. According to a statement from the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs , the industries covered in this bill include what have been termed as “telephony and the Internet,” internet hubs, data centers and hosting and [...]
A Swedish court of appeals on Wednesday upheld the life sentence of a man convicted of genocide during the 1994 Rwanda genocide . The Svea Court of Appeal in Stockholm found that Claver Berinkindi was guilty of murder, attempted murder and the kidnapping of thousands of people. The court also found that Berinkindi should pay [...]
A judge for the US District Court for the District of South Carolina ruled Wednesday that the state must place the names of both same-sex parents on their children’s birth certificates. Judge Mary Geiger Lewis determined that the state’s act preventing the placement of both parents’ names went against the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell [...]
The Supreme Court of the Philippines on Thursday denied an attempt from the country’s vice president to halt a protest against her election. Social activist Leni Robredo was elected vice president in May over the son of the late former dictator Ferdinand Marcos , who is commonly known as Bongbong Marcos. Marcos organized the protest [...]
Two members of the Montenegrin parliament were stripped of their immunity Wednesday after facing accusations of involvement with an attempted coup. The lawmakers, Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, are part of the Democratic Front (DF), a pro-Russian group that has firmly opposed the country’s plan to join NATO. The decision faced public backlash and was [...]
The Stockholm District Court on Thursday sentenced a former Syrian rebel fighter to life in prison for his participation in a mass execution of seven men in 2012. The defendant, who had permanent residence in Sweden, argued that the executions were carried out in accordance with the court-ordered death sentences issued for the men. Those [...]
A Michigan county’s practice of offering Christian-only prayers at public board meetings is unconstitutional , the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled Wednesday. Peter Bormuth filed suit after attending the county’s Board of Commissioners meeting. The appeals court ruled that the lower court was wrong in rejecting Bormuth’s argument that the practice [...]
The Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) released its annual report on Thursday, highlighting intensified crackdowns on human rights defenders in China. According to the CHRD report, human rights activities are being criminalized as “‘political’ threats to ‘national security.'” The report further highlights a number of practices used by the government, such as enforced [...]
