Law News

China steps up political arrests, prosecutions: Rights group

Bejing - China arrested or prosecuted more than 2,300 people for political offences in 2013, the vast majority in secret, an advocacy group reported Thursday as the ruling Communist party continues a crackdown on dissent.

Pakistan legislators approve military courts for terrorism

Islamabad - Pakistan's parliament Tuesday approved the setting up of military courts to hear terrorism-related cases, after a Taliban massacre at a military-run school in the northwest shocked the nation.

Israel freezing tax payment to Palestinians over ICC bid

Jerusalem - Israel is delaying the transfer of taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinians in retaliation for their application to join the International Criminal Court (ICC), an official confirmed Saturday.

Masculine-sounding lawyers win fewer cases

Chicago - When it comes to winning in a court of law, a booming voice may not be the best tool for a lawyer to deploy. Men who sound very masculine are actually less likely to win a US Supreme Court case.

China arrests US aid worker on N. Korean border: lawyer

Bejing - China has arrested an American Christian aid worker based near its border with North Korea, his lawyer said Saturday, as authorities deepen an apparent crackdown on religious groups in the region.

China official admits millions in jade bribes: Report

Bejing - A former senior Chinese provincial official told a court he took around 13 million yuan ($2.1 million) in bribes consisting largely of precious stones, state-run media reported Tuesday.

Executed Chinese teenager found innocent 18 years on

Bejing - A Chinese teenager executed after being convicted of murder and rape 18 years ago was declared innocent by a court Monday, in a rare overturning of a wrongful conviction.

Amnesty International accuses Israel of war crimes

London - The Israeli military committed war crimes during its Gaza offensive this summer and must be investigated, human rights monitor Amnesty International said on Tuesday.

China activists stand trial in dissent crackdown: Lawyer

Bejing - Two prominent Chinese political activists went on trial Friday for helping to organise small-scale protests against censorship, their lawyer said, the latest prosecution in a deepening government crackdown on dissent.

Israel cabinet votes to enshrine 'Jewish state' in law

Jerusalem - Israel's government Sunday endorsed a proposal to anchor in law the country's status as the national homeland of the Jewish people, drawing fire from critics who said it weakened democracy.

Malaysia transgenders win landmark court case

Putrajaya - Three Malaysian transgender women on Friday won their landmark bid to overturn an Islamic anti cross-dressing law in the conservative Muslim-majority nation.

Israel escapes war crimes charges over deadly Gaza flotilla raid

Den Haag - The International Criminal Court (ICC) will not launch a prosecution over Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010 in which 10 Turkish activists died, despite a "reasonable basis" to believe war crimes were committed, the chief prosecutor said Th...

British press fights 'Big Brother' after sources outed

London - Britain's security services are set to clash with parliament and the press over revelations that police secretly used a controversial law to identify journalists' sources, triggering a wider debate about media freedom in the digital age.

High Court denies damages to French-speaking Ottawa couple

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Air Canada does not have to pay an Ottawa couple that filed suit against the airline because they couldn't be served in their preferred tongue.

China Communist party to keep grip on legal system

Beijing - China's ruling Communist Party on Tuesday reaffirmed its supremacy over the legal system, as it announced measures to centralise power and combat corruption following a highly-anticipated meeting.

China plans to scrap death penalty for 9 crimes: Xinhua

Beijing - China's legislature is considering cutting nine crimes from the list of 55 punishable by death, state media said Monday, including illegal fundraising which has been at the centre of several controversial cases.

Beijing embraces 'rule of law with Chinese characteristics'

Beijing - China's Communist rulers declared Thursday that the country would embrace the "rule of law with Chinese characteristics", official media reported after a key party meeting touted as heralding legal reform.

China Uighur scholar appeals life sentence: lawyer

Beijing - A prominent Chinese scholar from the Uighur ethnic group who was jailed for life because of remarks he made in university classes has appealed the verdict, his lawyer said Friday.

Yugoslav war crimes prosecutor seeks life for Karadzic

Den Haag - The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal prosecutor wants former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic jailed for life for masterminding some of the worst atrocities in Europe since World War II, including the Srebrenica massacre.

Polish PM Tusk steps down as Brussels calls

Warsaw - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk resigned Tuesday, paving the way for him to take over as European Council president in December.

Student activist found guilty of sedition in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur - A Malaysian court on Friday sentenced a student activist to 10 months in jail for sedition, with the government increasingly using tough colonial-era legislation to stifle dissent despite promises to repeal the law.

'Sex drive-in' hailed as a success in Switzerland

Zurich - A government-backed experiment in legal prostitution may forever change the sex industry in Switzerland, if not greater Europe.

Harsh sentence handed down for Pennsylvania man

Lancaster - Ben Klinger will spend the next 30 to 60 years of his life behind bars following a particularly stiff sentencing from presiding Lancaster County Judge Margaret Miller.

Op-Ed: Rwanda, in crisis, uses coercive force to achieve justice

What happens when moral law is absent and the arbitrary exercise of power becomes the only means of delivering justice? Tyranny ensues.

Uganda anti-gay law to be re-introduced in parliament: Speaker

Kampala - Ugandan lawmakers will vote on reinstating a severe anti-gay law just weeks after it was scrapped by the country's constitutional court, the parliamentary speaker said on Tuesday.

French law eases abortion limits and pushes gender equality

French authorities recently passed a new law which brings significant changes to how men and women interact with each other and handle their families. However another section of the law which deals with abortion is getting the most discussion.

Disabled 'professional plaintiff' deported to Mexico

Los Angeles - Alfredo Garcia is a convicted felon and undocumented immigrant who has filed more than 800 lawsuits against businesses under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In response he was recently deported back to Mexico.

Swedish legislators plan to remove race from law

Legislators will be removing all references to race since it is simply a "social construct" made by humans. Government officials believe that this is a solid step towards ending racism.

Uganda court scraps new anti-gay law

Kampala - Uganda's constitutional court on Friday overturned tough new anti-gay laws that had been branded draconian and "abominable" by rights groups, saying they had been wrongly passed by parliament.

Oregon proposes smoking ban along entire coastline

Salem - Authorities with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department have called for a ban across 362 miles of coastline. The ban would include 224 state parks as well.