JURIST Guest Columnist Joshua Block of the American Civil Liberties Union discusses whether colleges and universities should be forced to officially recognize and fund student groups who discriminate… Should colleges and universities be forced to officially recognize—and provide funding to—religious student groups with membership policies that discriminate based on race, gender or sexual orientation? Four [...]
JURIST Guest Columnist Ryan Seelau of The Project for Indigenous Self Determination discusses Justice Clarence Thomas’ dissent in Michigan v. Bay Mills Indian Community… On May 27, 2014 the US Supreme Court handed down its decision in Michigan v. Bay Mills Indian Community. The decision was widely regarded as a victory for US Tribes. But [...]
The US Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that police officers must obtain a warrant before searching a person’s cell phone data, even at the time of arrest. In Riley v. California and United States v. Wurie , the court considered the question of whether a search of cell phone data without a warrant violates a person’s [...]
The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Wednesday against Aereo , an online service that streams and records publicly broadcast television programming without paying the broadcasters. In American Broadcasting Cos. v. Aereo, Inc. the court held that Aereo performs petitioners’ works publicly within the meaning of the Transmit Clause of the Copyright Act. Aereo charges users [...]
China’s highest Court on Tuesday overturned the death sentence of a woman convicted of killing her abusive husband in 2010. The Supreme People’s Court (SPC) remanded the case of 43-year-old Li Yan to a high court in China’s Sichuan province, finding that her first trial lacked sufficient evidence and factual clarity. Yan beat her husband [...]
Increasing militarization of police forces is putting citizens at risk rather than protecting them, according to a report released Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) . The report titled, “War Comes Home: The Excessive Militarization of American Policing,” analyzed data from 800 SWAT deployments conducted by 20 law enforcement agencies during the years [...]
Fatou Bensouda , Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced Tuesday that a preliminary investigation into North Korean attacks on South Korea did not satisfy the Rome Statute requirements necessary to initiate a full ICC investigation. The preliminary investigation was launched in 2010 in the wake of two North Korean attacks on the South: [...]
Spain’s Supreme Court on Monday dismissed two judicial investigations into allegations of Chinese genocide and human rights violations, due to a new law limiting Spanish judges’ involvement in international cases. Earlier this year, Spain put an end to its use of universal jurisdiction . Under the new law, Spanish courts would be able to prosecute [...]
Gllobal environment crime is financing criminal activity and threatening global development, according to a report released Tuesday by the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and INTERPOL . The 108-page report, entitled “The Environmental Crime Crisis,” details the ways in which illegal trading of charcoal, timber and poached wildlife, worth approximately $213 billion annually, helps to fund [...]
A Montana judge has struck down most of a voter approved immigration law that requires government officials to check the immigration status of anyone applying for state services. The law was approved by voters in November 2012 by an overwhelming majority of 74 percent. Judge Jeffrey Sherlock ruled Friday that the law, except for one [...]
