Jonathan Werve : "Global Integrity, an independent nonprofit group tracking corruption and governance trends worldwide, has followed with interest the recent appeal to eject allegedly corrupt Nigerian MPs from party lists. Our experience shows that political leadership in the legislature is key to improving all areas of governance. The 2006 Global Integrity Report, released last [...]
A Nigerian appeals court ruled on Tuesday that Vice President Atiku Abubakar could not legally be stripped of his office after his break with President Olusegun Obasanjo . The pair were elected in 1999 at the end of an oppressive military regime, but Abubakar was accused of corruption and forced from the party after refusing [...]
Boumediene v. Bush, US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, February 20, 2006 . Read the full text of the ruling . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.
Philip Morris USA v. Williams, US Supreme Court, February 20, 2007 . Read the court's opinion per Justice Breyer, along with a dissent from Justice Stevens, a second dissent from Justice Thomas and a final dissent from Justice Ginsburg. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.
The Kansas House of Representatives on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a bill making English the state's "official" language. The legislation passed 118-2, after it was amended to provide $500,000 to help adult immigrants learn English. It is expected to receive final approval on Wednesday and then move on to the state senate for consideration. [...]
A military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has found thirteen soldiers guilty of murdering 30 civilians in the Ituri district . The thirteen were sentenced Monday to life in prison, according to UN sources. Witnesses said the soldiers abducted the civilians and forced them to perform labor; in November of last [...]
The prime ministers of Spain and Italy have pledged to support Germany in reviving the European Constitution . Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi , whose countries both ratified the Constitution, made the announcement Tuesday after an annual summit on the island of Ibiza. In 2005, the constitution [...]
The Sacramento County Superior Court Tuesday struck down a plan by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to transfer prisoners to private out-of-state facilities in order to reduce prison overcrowding. The ruling by Judge Gail Ohanesian held that an emergency declaration issued by Schwarzenegger in October violated the California Emergency Services Act and the state constitution , [...]
Lawyers made their final arguments in the perjury trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Tuesday, with the defense arguing that Libby was a scapegoat for presidential aide Karl Rove's disclosures. In its final remarks, the prosecution argued that Libby was merely trying to a cover up a potentially illegal intelligence leak. In response, the defense [...]
The French parliament voted Monday to amend the French Constitution to include an explicit ban on the death penalty. In a special joint session of both the National Assembly and the Senate at the Palace of Versailles, the amendment passed with a vote of 828-26 . While the death penalty has been outlawed in France [...]
