A UN independent board of inquiry announced Monday that it uncovered evidence that at least 44 Palestinians were killed by “Israeli actions” while sheltering at UN locations during last year’s Gaza war. The investigation also found that at least 227 Palestinians were injured. In response to the findings, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated : The [...]
Amnesty International (AI) USA Executive Director Steven Hawkins on Tuesday urged Baltimore police to exercise restraint during protests, prioritize non-violent means and limit the use of force. The statement comes amid protests over the death of Baltimore resident Freddie Gray while he was in police custody. Hawkins also addressed the right to protest and peacefully [...]
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday in Kingsley v. Hendrickson over whether excessive-force claims brought by pre-trial detainees should be governed by the standard applicable to free people on the street, or instead by a standard like the one applicable to convicted criminals in prison. In the case, plaintiff Michael Kingsley argues [...]
The US Supreme Court granted certiorari in two cases on Monday. In Spokeo v. Robins , the court is asked to determine whether Congress may confer Article III standing upon a plaintiff who suffers no concrete harm and who therefore could not otherwise invoke the jurisdiction of a federal court, by authorizing a private right [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday urged Cambodia to drop plans to revive a restrictive nongovernmental organizations (NGO) law. Prime Minister Hun Sen has reportedly said he would use the Law on Associations and Nongovernmental Organizations (LANGO) to “handcuff” non compliant groups. Brian Adams, HRW Asia director said that NGOs play a crucial rule in [...]
The annual Webby Awards in Law and more than 100 other subject categories were announced in New York Monday as the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences honored excellence in interactive design, creativity, usability and functionality on the Internet in 2015. Harvard Law project Perma.cc took the judges’ Webby, and the People’s Voice award, [...]
The Indonesian Constitutional Court has agreed to hear a last minute appeal by two condemned drug smugglers known as the “Bali Nine Pair” . The pair’s legal representative said Monday that the court has agreed to hear the appeal. The pair had been due to face death by firing squad Wednesday after being convicted of [...]
JURIST Guest Columnist Gregory S. Gordon, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law, discusses the similarities and differences between the Aaron Hernandez and OJ Simpson trials and the potential implications for future criminal cases … On April 15, 2015, former NFL star Aaron Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder for the [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Sunday said that the trial of deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi was “badly flawed” and compromised by due process violations. The former president was convicted on April 21 for inciting violence and ordering the killing and torturing of protesters in 2012 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. While the [...]
Bahrain Public Prosecution on Sunday extended the period of detention of Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab by 15 days, citing a need for further investigation. According to Rajab’s wife, the activist was arrested on April 2 for tweets he posted about torture practices in Jau prison. At the time of his arrest Rajab was [...]
