JURIST - Paper Chase: PM legal news brief - Afghan President signs new constitution

Leading the legal news this afternoon, AP reports: "President Hamid Karzai signed the post-Taliban constitution into law Monday, hailing its promise of equal rights in hopes of uniting his splintered nation and ending the reign of violence in Afghanistan." AP has more.

In other legal news this afternoon...

Federal judge dismisses slave reparations suit
AP reports: "A federal judge in Chicago today has dismissed a lawsuit brought by descendants of slaves from across the country."
Ruling a blow to Martha Stewart defence
AP reports: "In a defeat for Stewart, U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum ruled that the defence cannot argue that she is being prosecuted for asserting her innocence and exercising her right to free speech."
Iraq war justified even without WMD: Ashcroft
CTV reports: "U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft has joined the list of top U.S. administration members who are struggling to defend the war in Iraq amid mounting criticism that no weapons of mass destruction have ever been found."
Court Ruling May Change NJ Megan's Law
1010 Wins.com reports: "Sex offenders who show that they can adhere to restrictions that would substantially reduce the risk of their committing further offenses can be authorized for release, a state appeals court has ruled."
Judge allows young killer Lionel Tate to go home
The Miami Herald reports: "A Broward County judge allowed Lionel Tate to go home today, four days before his 17th birthday."
University of Pittsburgh law school receives second largest endowment
AP reports: "The University of Pittsburgh's law school is getting its second largest gift ever, but the donor said the money can't be used for athletics."

In international legal news this afternoon...

Surprise Witness in Germany 9/11 Trial
AP reports: "A surprise witness who claims to be a former Iranian intelligence agent will appear this week at the trial of a Moroccan accused of aiding the Sept. 11 hijackers, the court hearing the case said on Monday."
EU could lift arms ban for China, officials say
AP reports: "The European Union could decide this spring to lift a ban on arms sales to China, opening the way for lucrative contracts from Beijing's big-spending military, officials said Monday.."
Govt aiming to clarify self-defense rights
The Yomiuri Shimbun reports: "The government's new stance on Japan's constitutional right to respond to military strikes against U.S. forces defending this nation reflects its decision to clear up ambiguities surrounding its view on the right to individual self-defense, according to analysts."
Colonialism: Britain Faces Lawsuits from EA
The East African reports: "The British government is facing a veritable avalanche of law suits relating to the colonial period in Kenya and Uganda over the coming year."

Every day, JURIST's editors at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law review thousands of developing stories from the wire services, newspapers and broadcast media in the US and abroad, selecting the latest legal news worth thinking about. That's all for now. Check back this evening after 10 PM for the evening legal news brief on JURIST's Paper Chase.