A judge from Georgia’s Towaliga Judicial Circuit ruled Monday that death row inmate Warren Lee Hill has failed to meet the state’s requirement to prove intellectual disability beyond a reasonable doubt as a bar to execution. Hill’s lawyers argued Georgia’s high standard for proving intellectual disability is inadequate because psychiatric diagnoses are subject to a [...]
A team of 12 independent human rights experts from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights announced Monday the contents of a letter written to the government and the congress of the Republic of Colombia that argues Colombia should reconsider the possible adoption of Senate Bill-85, 2013 to restructure and expand the [...]
The European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) on Thursday ruled to officially recognize the Church of Scientology as a legal entity, over strong opposition by Russian authorities. The church has applied for recognition six times between the years of 1995 and 2003. The applications were either rejected or ignored by St. Petersburg authorities. The church [...]
The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights jointly released a report on Thursday, detailing the staggering amount of human rights abuses that have occurred under the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) . The report examines various violations that have occurred during a [...]
Those challenging Wisconsin’s voter photo identification law asked the US Supreme Court on Thursday to take emergency action and block the law before the November 4 election. Last month the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that the law would remain in effect while it considers a legal challenge. However, state election [...]
Oral arguments for a case challenging Arkansas’ voter ID law began on Thursday, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law . The Brennan Center for Justice filed an amicus brief supporting the challengers. Act 595, passed in 2013 by the Arkansas legislature , requires that Arkansas residents present [...]
The US Supreme Court Thursday granted certiorari to 11 cases, adding them to the docket for decision for the upcoming term. In the case Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission the court has been asked to rule on the constitutionality of a voter approved amendment to the Arizona constitution that assigned the task [...]
California Governor Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed a bill issuing a statewide ban against single-use plastic bags. Beginning in July 2016 grocery and convenience stores across the state will be required to supply reusable, multi-purpose bags to customers to be sold for profit. This law, the first of its kind in the US, is in [...]
The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service on Wednesday dropped terrorism charges against Moazzam Begg , a former Guantanamo Bay detainee who was arrested on suspicion of terrorism offenses related to the war in Syria . Begg was scheduled to stand trial next Monday for charges including the funding and training of terrorist activities, but last-minute evidence [...]
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday found that Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta must appear in court for his hearing next week, rejecting a request by the leader to be excused due to scheduling conflicts. The ICC stated that the case had reached a “critical juncture” and that “the requirements of justice in this case [...]
