The UN General Assembly Third Committee on Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs has approved a draft resolution calling for an end to politically motivated condemnations of countries for human rights violations. The resolution, adopted Thursday, says that human rights protection should be "guided by the principles of universality, non-selectivity, impartiality and objectivity and should be [...]
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has opened a full criminal investigation into former Republican congressman Mark Foley in connection with his sexually explicit computer messages to young male pages disclosed earlier this year. The FDLE began preliminary investigations shortly after Foley stepped down on September 29 and announced the start of its full [...]
The Dutch government announced after a cabinet meeting Friday that it will introduce legislation to ban the Muslim full-length burqa veil as well as other face coverings like ski masks in public places "as soon as possible" after the country votes in a national election scheduled for Wednesday. Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk told Dutch media [...]
A close associate of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told AP Friday that al-Maliki was unaware of a controversial plan by Shiite Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani to arrest Sunni leader Harith al-Dhari , head of the powerful Association of Muslim Scholars and a vocal critic of the majority-Shiite government, on charges of incitement of terrorism [...]
Ex parte Jose Ernesto Medellin, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, November 17, 2006 . Read the full text of the ruling. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.
The Referral Bench of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) ruled Friday that the case of former Serbian commander Vladimir Kovacevic should be transferred to Serbia within 30 days. The decision marks the first time the ICTY has sent an indictment to Serbia pursuant to Rule 11 bis of the ICTY's Rules [...]
The US military has preliminary plans to build a new legal compound at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba , where trials of detainees may begin to take place as early as June, the Miami Herald reported Friday. According to a federal solicitation notice seeking contractors, the compound will include a secure perimeter, a courthouse with two large [...]
US District Judge Reggie B. Walton ruled Friday in support of a bid by the US Department of Justice to bar terrorism suspect Majid Khan from access to a civilian lawyer unless and until the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit resolves the issue of military detainee rights. The government had argued that [...]
German officials have expressed some concern about the future of the proposed European Constitution in light of positions taken by two leading rivals for the French presidency. Newly-chosen French Socialist Party candidate Segolene Royal , and conservative aspirant Nicolas Sarkozy have both shown reservations about approving the charter after French voters rejected it last May. [...]
Computer Associates is seeking repayment of legal defense costs totaling $14.9 million it fronted on behalf of former CEO Sanjay Kumar . The software maker filed suit against Kumar in New York State Supreme Court last week. Judge Stephen Bucaria granted CA's motion to attach Kumar's house and a collection of luxury cars on Wednesday, [...]
