A judge for the US District Court for the District of Utah on Tuesday blocked an order by Governor Gary Herbert that would have prevented Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funds after the release of controversial videos. The videos, which depicted Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of fetal tissue in, what was described by [...]
The High Court of Justice of Catalonia summoned Catalonia, President Artur Mas on Tuesday over his involvement in the 2014 independence referendum . Mas has been accused of civil disobedience, embezzlement of public funds and abuse of power. Mas is scheduled to appear in court on October 15, and he could possibly face a 10-year [...]
The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights on Tuesday expressed deep concern over human rights abuses committed by the World Bank , going as far as to call the World Bank a “human rights-free zone.” Special Rapporteur Phillip Alston accused the organization of not considering human rights while conducting its work and [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Tuesday ruled that a New York state law banning retailers from imposing surcharges on credit card purchases was constitutional, overruling a lower court decision. The appeals court voted 3-0 that the law, which sets out criminal penalties for retailers that impose surcharges on customers who [...]
Former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra filed a criminal case against Attorney General Trakul Winitnaiyaphak and other prosecutors on Tuesday, accusing them of abuse of power and causing damage to others in the handling of her case. In February 2014, Shinawatra was charged with neglect of duty relating to management of the country’s multi-billion dollar [...]
Former Congolese vice president Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of interfering with the administration of justice. Bemba is accused of paying witnesses and coaching them to give false testimony in his war crimes trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) . If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of [...]
Prosecutors in China on Tuesday announced that they will be investigating former China Supreme Court justice Xi Xiaoming on corruption charges. The former vice president of the Supreme People’s Court has already been fired from all of the public positions he held and has had his membership in the ruling Communist Party revoked. The Central [...]
JURIST Guest Columnist William J. Rich, of Washburn University School of Law, discusses the conflict between branches of the Kansas government that has been intensified in the case of Solomon v. Kansas… In 2014, the Kansas legislature altered the way in which chief administrative judges are chosen, transferring selection authority from the Kansas Supreme Court [...]
Twelve UN agencies published a joint statement on Tuesday urging states to end violence and discrimination toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) individuals. Abuses toward the LGBTI population are human rights abuses impacting society as a whole, the UN agencies said. The agencies are encouraging nations around the world to help prevent violence [...]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Tuesday asked parties involved in the Taliban attack in Kunduz, Afghanistan, to do everything in their power to protect civilians form harm . He expressed concern over the deteriorating human rights situation and urged “all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under [...]
