A Manhattan federal judge Monday overturned a federal bankruptcy court's highly-controversial decision in the Enron case, ruling that holders of claims against a bankrupt company should have their claims extinguished if they purchased them from a seller who used "inequitable conduct." US District Judge Shira Scheindlin found that federal bankruptcy rules were only intended to [...]
A US magistrate judge for the Southern District of Florida issued a ruling Tuesday recommending that the US Department of State extradite former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega to France when he is released from federal prison on September 9, 2007. Noriega is charged in France with laundering money through French banks. In a related ruling [...]
Senior judges on the UK Council of HM Circuit Judges have warned UK lawmakers that the judiciary may balk at a plan to add new control orders to a draft criminal justice and immigration bill , the Guardian reported Tuesday. Lawmakers have proposed adding a violent offender order, which would impose tough restrictions on the [...]
The Bangladesh Supreme Court has overturned a court order granting bail to former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed , ruling Monday that she should remain in prison as she awaits trial on extortion charges . Earlier this month, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court ruled Hasina could be detained and prosecuted under emergency [...]
The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) released its first major report on racism and inequality in the European Union Tuesday, finding ethnic discrimination in employment, housing and education, as well as an increase in racist violence in many member states. Of the 11 reporting member states, racist crimes increased in Denmark, Germany, France, [...]
Yahoo! filed a motion in federal court in California Monday seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit alleging that the Internet giant aided and abetted human rights violations committed by the Chinese government by providing Chinese officials with information, including e-mail records and user ID numbers, that helped them to identify pro-democracy activists. Yahoo! admitted that [...]
Canadian-born financier and former media mogul Conrad Black filed a motion Monday requesting either a new trial or acquittal after his conviction on mail fraud and obstruction of justice charges in July. In the motion, Black's lawyers questioned the credibility of some trial witnesses, including Black's long-time business partner F. David Radler . Radler pleaded [...]
A federal judge issued a temporary injunction Monday blocking a Missouri abortion law that would subject more abortion clinics to tighter state control. The law, which had been scheduled to go into effect Tuesday, would classify abortion clinics that perform more than five first-trimester abortions a month or any second- or third-trimester abortions as "outpatient [...]
Chinese state media reported Monday that the National People's Congress is considering new legislation that would increase penalties for companies that pollute the nation's waterways. The new law would remove present pollution fine caps and allow the government to fine companies 20-30 percent of the direct financial loss caused by their polluting. China's population amounts [...]
The military jury in the case against US Army Lt. Col. Steven L. Jordan began deliberations Monday to decide charges against Jordan relating to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal . During closing arguments in Jordan's court-martial, the government said that Jordan is on trial for failing to properly train and oversee his soldiers while [...]
