tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:50:59 +0000JURIST's legal news service, powered by a team of over 40 law student reporters and editors led by Professor Bernard Hibbitts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/index.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Bernard Hibbitts)Blogger5000125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-1836155079598081429Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:03:00 +00002009-11-06T16:50:59.909-05:00[JURIST] The International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] announced Friday that it has assigned [decision, PDF; press release] three judges to the situation involving the violence perpetrated in the wake of Kenya's 2007 presidential elections [JURIST news archive]. The decision came in response to a Thursday letter [text, PDF] from chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo [official profile] http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/icc-assigns-judges-to-kenya-post.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn Belczyk)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-8741362929140810014Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:56:00 +00002009-11-06T15:32:39.133-05:00[JURIST] The US should reform its detention policy [press release] at Bagram Air Base [JURIST news archive] in Afghanistan in order to combat counterinsurgency, according to a report [text, PDF] released Thursday by Human Rights First (HRF) [advocacy website]. HRF called on the governments of the US and Afghanistan to reach an agreement that "set[s] forth grounds and procedures for detention in http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/rights-group-urges-us-government-to.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn Belczyk)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-1920862012158872927Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:05:00 +00002009-11-06T16:31:04.185-05:00[JURIST] A lawyer for the man accused of the double murder [JURIST report] of human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova said Friday that his client has confessed to the crime. Nikita Tikhonov and female companion Yevgenia Khasis were arrested Thursday and brought before the Basmanny District Court. In an interview [materials, in Russian] on the radio program Echo http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/russia-suspect-confesses-to-killing.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Patrice Collins)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-1735372476939475213Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:21:00 +00002009-11-06T15:47:31.181-05:00[JURIST] The UN General Assembly [official website] on Thursday adopted a resolution giving Israel and Palestine three months to conduct independent investigations into possible war crimes committed during last winter's Gaza conflict [JURIST news archive]. The General Assembly voted 114-18 with 44 abstentions [press release] expressing support for the Goldstone Report [text, PDF], the result of ahttp://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/un-general-assembly-adopts-resolution.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Zach Zagger)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-4124316797267925794Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:05:00 +00002009-11-06T13:37:05.138-05:00[JURIST] The US Senate [official website] voted 54-45 [roll call vote] Thursday to defeat an amendment [S AMDT 2669 materials] to an appropriations bill [HR 2847 materials] that would have prevented Guantanamo Bay detainees accused of involvement in 9/11 [JURIST news archives] from being tried in federal courts. The amendment was proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) [official website] in http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/senate-defeats-proposal-to-prevent-911.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Andrea Bottorff)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-4730193639332990625Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:55:00 +00002009-11-06T14:52:39.075-05:00[JURIST] The European Parliament and the Council of Ministers [official websites] on Thursday unanimously reached an agreement [press release] on rules to increase competition between telecommunications providers and protect the consumer rights of Internet and mobile phone users. The agreement on the European Union (EU) Telecoms Reform package was reached after intense negotiations by the http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/eu-agrees-on-rules-to-reform.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Ann Riley)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-8563836151141466554Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:53:00 +00002009-11-06T14:34:42.172-05:00[JURIST] An official from the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission on Friday called for a delay of the January 16 parliamentary elections, after the Iraqi Parliament [official websites, in Arabic] remained at an impasse over updating a controversial provincial election law [JURIST report]. Electoral commission chief Faraj al-Haidari told state media that it would be impossible to organize http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/iraq-official-urges-delay-of-january.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Miley)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-9105107641797250257Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:08:00 +00002009-11-06T11:17:47.106-05:00[JURIST] The International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] on Thursday set the trial date [order, PDF; press release] for former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo [ICC materials; JURIST news archive] for April 27. The trial date was set to give the defense six months of preparation from the date the Office of the Prosecutor fulfills its disclosure http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/icc-sets-trial-of-congo-rebel-leader.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Ximena Marinero)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-5361095105303747097Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:09:00 +00002009-11-05T17:01:33.341-05:00[JURIST] The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) [official website] on Thursday sentenced [press release] former director of the Rwanda tea industry Michel Bagaragaza [case materials; Trial Watch profile] to eight years in prison on charges of complicity in genocide [indictment, PDF]. As director general of OCIR-Tea [official website], Bagaragaza was accused of training, funding, http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/former-rwanda-tea-official-sentenced-to.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Dwyer Arce)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-1255593839135982823Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:10:00 +00002009-11-05T16:24:51.422-05:00[JURIST] The US House of Representatives Financial Services Committee [official website] on Wednesday voted 41-28 [press release; record vote, PDF] for passage of the Investor Protection Act [HR 3817 materials]. Among the regulations included in the bill are an enhancement of powers for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) [official website], additional protections for whistleblowers, andhttp://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/house-financial-services-committee.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Jackson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-1172905211705386877Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:12:00 +00002009-11-05T15:48:12.569-05:00[JURIST] The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) [official website] announced [press release] Thursday that former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic [case materials; JURIST news archive] will be appointed counsel [decision, PDF] to represent him in the event that he does not appear in court. The ICTY announced the decision in response to Karadzic's boycott of war http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/icty-to-appoint-counsel-for-karadzic.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Dotterer)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-7664010197907767337Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:05:00 +00002009-11-05T15:10:07.373-05:00[JURIST] Sri Lanka's Chief of Defense Staff General Sarath Fonseka [official profile] returned home [press release] Thursday without being questioned by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) [official website] about alleged war crimes. Fonseka, a US permanent resident with a diplomatic passport and a Green Card, had traveled to the US to visit his daughters in Oklahoma. The Sri Lankan http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/top-sri-lanka-military-official-departs.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Carrie Schimizzi)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-5335015107008453426Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:46:00 +00002009-11-05T14:29:24.888-05:00[JURIST] Two senior Indonesian law enforcement officials resigned Thursday after being linked to an alleged plot to weaken the Corruption Eradication Commisions (KPK) [official website, in Indonesian], an anti-corruption agency. Deputy Attorney General Abdul Hakim Ritonga and Chief Detective Susno Duadjia were mentioned by name [Jakarta Globe report] in a tape recorded conversation about a plan http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/indonesia-law-enforcement-officials.phpHwojdowski@gmail.com (Haley Wojdowski)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-4770016138987948474Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:09:00 +00002009-11-05T14:53:17.244-05:00[JURIST] International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo [official profile] on Thursday announced that he will ask the ICC to open a formal inquiry into violence perpetrated in the wake of Kenya's 2007 presidential elections [JURIST news archive]. Following a meeting to discuss the ICC inquiry with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki [official profile] and http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/icc-prosecutor-seeking-formal.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Daniel Makosky)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-2212805228535809006Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:04:00 +00002009-11-05T10:43:27.521-05:00[JURIST] The New York Attorney General [official website] on Wednesday filed an antitrust suit [complaint, PDF; press release] against Intel [corporate website], alleging that the microprocessor manufacturer engaged in illegal conduct to further its dominance in the marketplace. The complaint alleges that Intel obtained exclusive contracts from manufacturers in exchange for large payments. http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/new-york-ag-files-antitrust-suit.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Christian Ehret)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-4433770003226202987Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:44:00 +00002009-11-05T10:09:41.025-05:00[JURIST] An Illinois Cook County Circuit Court [official website] judge on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order on the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995 [text] only hours after the Illinois Medical Disciplinary Board had ruled to begin enforcing the law. The order was sought by the the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois (ACLU-IL) [advocacy website] in support of a suit http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/illinois-court-again-delays-enforcement.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Ximena Marinero)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-138988610712229181Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:06:00 +00002009-11-05T09:35:07.503-05:00[JURIST] The Ohio Supreme Court [official website] set dates [announcement, PDF] Wednesday for two inmates to be executed by lethal injection [JURIST news archive], despite a temporary stay on executions in the state. Michael Bueke is scheduled to be executed on May 13 of next year, and Richard Nields is scheduled to be executed on June 10. Ohio's lethal injection process is currently under http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/ohio-supreme-court-schedules-executions.phpnoreply@blogger.com (David Manes)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-4689060374867899099Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:14:00 +00002009-11-04T16:55:16.674-05:00[JURIST] Researchers in Sarajevo on Tuesday unveiled [press release, in Croatian] a Google Earth tool mapping the sites of war crimes committed during the 1992-1995 Bosnian genocide [PPU backgrounder]. The Bosnian war crimes atlas [materials, in Croatian] was compiled by the Research and Documentation Center (RDC) [advocacy website, in Croatian], a Sarajevo-based research organization tasked withhttp://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/sarajevo-researchers-unveil-bosnia-war.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Dwyer Arce)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-271119586856347591Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:04:00 +00002009-11-04T16:46:00.198-05:00[JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website; JURIST news archive] heard oral arguments [day call, PDF; merit briefs] Wednesday in two cases. In Pottawattamie County v. McGhee [oral arguments transcript, PDF; JURIST report], the Court heard arguments on whether a prosecutor may be subjected to a civil trial and potential damages for a wrongful conviction and incarceration where the prosecutor http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/supreme-court-hears-arguments-in_04.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn Belczyk)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-8771544293301339667Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:24:00 +00002009-11-04T16:51:29.309-05:00[JURIST] Judge Oscar Magi of the Fourth Chamber of the Court of Milan [official website, in Italian] on Wednesday convicted 23 former CIA agents for the 2003 kidnapping and rendition [JURIST news archive] of Egyptian terror suspect Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr. The nearly three-year trial, which was delayed [JURIST news archive] many times, is the first in the world involving the CIA's http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/italy-judge-convicts-23-former-cia.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Carrie Schimizzi)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-2340349745693923226Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:47:00 +00002009-11-04T15:58:21.084-05:00[JURIST] Ohio voters on Tuesday approved [results] a ballot measure [text] to create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, commonly referred to as Issue 2. The purpose of the board will be to maintain food safety, encourage locally grown and raised food, and protect Ohio farms and families. The measure will amend the Ohio Constitution and prevent groups from putting livestock care issues on http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/ohio-voters-approve-creation-of.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Paulsworth)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-5963970570332722605Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:18:00 +00002009-11-04T15:12:45.077-05:00[JURIST] Voters in Maine on Tuesday approved an expansion [proposed legislation, PDF] of the state's existing medical marijuana laws by a 59 to 41 percent margin [Bangor Daily News report], with 87 percent of precincts reporting. The proposed legislation, Question 5 on the Maine ballot, will allow for increased access to medical marijuana through dispensaries, and will increase the number of http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/maine-voters-approve-expansion-of.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Jackson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-1086639727011184873Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:11:00 +00002009-11-04T13:47:35.060-05:00[JURIST] New York voters approved a ballot measure Tuesday amending the state constitution [text] to allow the state legislature to pass a law permitting prisoners to work with non-profit organizations on a voluntary basis. Prisoners previously participated in work programs with non-profit organizations, but a 2005 opinion issued by the Commission of Correction [official website] indicated that http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/new-york-voters-approve-inmate-non.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Hillary Stemple)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-5711322344754867119Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:49:00 +00002009-11-04T14:36:48.240-05:00[JURIST] The UN Organization Mission in DR Congo (MONUC) [official website] has given funding and support to military groups that are committing human rights abuses [press release], according to Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] Tuesday. HRW detailed the alleged attacks, rapes, and murders of civilians, calling them war crimes. HRW senior researcher Anneke Van Woudenberg said:Some http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/un-dr-congo-mission-urged-to-stop.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Amelia Mathias)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-2407939446509576476Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:32:00 +00002009-11-04T13:05:48.583-05:00[JURIST] An amendment to the Texas Constitution [text] limiting government enforcement of eminent domain was overwhelmingly approved [unofficial results] by voters on Tuesday with more than 80 percent of those polled voting favorably. Proposition 11 [text and materials] prohibits government officials from taking private property and allotting it to private buyers for the purpose of economic http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/11/texas-voters-approve-amendment-limiting.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Miley)