tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:15:40 +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-7568067036363145239Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:30:00 +00002010-02-09T17:15:40.777-05:00[JURIST] Former Intel Capital [corporate website] executive Rajiv Goel pleaded guilty [press release, PDF] to insider trading charges on Monday in connection with the probe surrounding Galleon Group [partnership website] hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam [Financial Times profile; JURIST news archive] and former hedge fund consultant Danielle Chiesi. The US Attorney's Office for the Southern http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/former-intel-executive-pleads-guilty-to.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Miley)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-863614587472665290Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:04:00 +00002010-02-09T17:10:28.188-05:00[JURIST] The International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] will consider a petition from the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) [advocacy website] calling for an investigation into recent violence in Jos, Nigeria, according to a response letter [text, PDF] sent to SERAP Monday. SERAP lawyer Femi Falana welcomed [press release, DOC] the ICC's response, saying:This is http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/icc-considering-investigation-into.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Paulsworth)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-6639937266899481106Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:39:00 +00002010-02-09T16:44:30.400-05:00[JURIST] The Philippine Department of Justice (PDOJ) [official website] on Tuesday charged 197 people with murder [press release] in connection with the November massacre in the semi-autonomous Maguindanao province that left 57 dead. Among those charged is Andal Ampatuan Sr., a former political ally to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo [official website; BBC profile], head of a Muslim clan, and http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/philippines-prosecutors-charge-197-for.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Ann Riley)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-9177964037965151972Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:10:00 +00002010-02-09T15:52:03.739-05:00[JURIST] Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa [official website, in Sinhala] dissolved Parliament [official website] on Tuesday and called for early parliamentary elections. The country's parliamentary elections could now be conducted [BBC report] as early as April 8, with the new parliament convening as early as April 22. It is believed that Rajapaksa is trying to harness momentum from the http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/sri-lanka-president-dissolves.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Paulsworth)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-4708728337217610562Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:47:00 +00002010-02-09T15:27:18.172-05:00[JURIST] The government of Bahrain has reverted to using torture [press release] to gain confessions from detainees after a decade of reform banning such practices, according to a report [text] released Monday by Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website]. HRW conducted interviews with 20 former detainees who claimed that they had suffered torture and ill-treatment as early as 2007. The http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/bahrain-using-torture-to-extract.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Miley)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-8471016980236102542Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:45:00 +00002010-02-09T13:58:01.195-05:00[JURIST] Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court [official website, in German] ruled [judgment, in German] Tuesday that the country's five-year-old social welfare benefit law is unconstitutional. The benefit, known as Hartz IV, merges unemployment and social assistance programs and is only granted where individuals do not have sufficient means, income, or property of their own. Under the current http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/germany-court-rules-welfare-law.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Ann Riley)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-5976261897671160267Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:06:00 +00002010-02-09T12:01:20.090-05:00[JURIST] The African Union (AU) [official website] on Monday called for a hybrid court of Sudanese and foreign judges to hear trials of individuals accused of war crimes in Darfur [JURIST news archive]. The AU Implementation Panel, led by former South African president Thabo Mbeki [ANC profile], renewed its request for the combined court a week after the International Criminal Court (ICC) [http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/african-union-calls-for-hybrid-court-to.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Andrea Bottorff)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-953389306465892975Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:41:00 +00002010-02-09T11:32:47.611-05:00[JURIST] Former Boeing [corporate website] engineer Dongfan "Greg" Chung was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison, following his July 2009 conviction [JURIST report] under the 1996 Economic Espionage Act [DOJ backgrounder]. Chung, a native of China, was convicted by the US District Court for the Central District of California [official website] in a non-jury trial of stealing corporate trade http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/chinese-american-sentenced-to-15-years.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Hillary Stemple)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-7654783587603453047Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:05:00 +00002010-02-09T10:42:01.387-05:00[JURIST] A Chinese court on Tuesday sentenced human rights activist Tan Zuoren to five years in prison on subversion charges. Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] says that Zuoren sought to release an independent report [AI report] documenting the lethal consequences of substandard construction in the Sichuan province's 2008 earthquake [BBC backgrounder], which left some 90,000 dead. http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/china-earthquake-activist-sentenced-to.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Megan McKee)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-2065345551978140078Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:28:00 +00002010-02-09T09:47:33.745-05:00[JURIST] The European Union (EU) and the US government on Monday issued a joint statement [text, PDF] condemning Iranian human rights violations since the disputed June presidential election [JURIST news archive]. According to the statement, the Iranian government must respect international human rights principles, especially during the coming anniversary of the founding of the 1979 Islamic http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/eu-us-condemn-iran-human-rights.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Ximena Marinero)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-6018797339562912648Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:31:00 +00002010-02-09T10:12:00.340-05:00[JURIST] Former UK Foreign Ministry secretary Jack Straw [parliamentary profile] testified [transcript, PDF; video] to the Iraq Inquiry [official website] on Monday that he did not ignore legal advice that the 2003 Iraq invasion lacked basis in international law. During Straw's second appearance before the public inquiry, he explained that he noted but did not accept the advice of former chief http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/former-uk-foreign-minister-denies.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Ximena Marinero)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-6297992368804993025Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:08:00 +00002010-02-08T15:21:18.478-05:00[JURIST] Sri Lankan military police on Monday arrested defeated opposition presidential candidate and former general Sarath Fonseka [BBC profile]. The Sri Lankan Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) announced [press release] that Fonseka was arrested "in connection with certain fraudulent acts and other military offences." Fonseka, who orchestrated the successful military campaign against http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/sri-lanka-military-police-arrest.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Dotterer)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-6737181857229754366Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:48:00 +00002010-02-08T14:16:01.966-05:00[JURIST] Former Iranian deputy foreign minister Mohsen Aminzadeh has been sentenced [ISNA report, in Persian] to six years in prison for his participation in protesting last year's contested Iranian presidential election [JURIST news archive], state-run Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) [media website, in Persian] reported Monday. Aminzadeh was a leading member of the Islamic Iran Participationhttp://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/iran-opposition-leader-sentenced-to-six.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Carrie Schimizzi)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-7011745778544634866Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:04:00 +00002010-02-08T15:04:45.807-05:00[JURIST] The International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] on Monday declined to confirm charges [judgment, PDF; press release] against Darfur rebel chief Bahr Idriss Abu Garda [case materials; JURIST news archive]. The ruling came after a preliminary hearing [JURIST report] in October to address war crimes charges that arose out of Abu Garda's alleged involvement in the September 2007 http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/icc-drops-charges-against-sudan-rebel.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Megan McKee)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-2649609951599260238Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:08:00 +00002010-02-08T12:52:56.021-05:00[JURIST] Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki [official website, in Arabic] said Monday that a dispute over banned candidates will be resolved by Friday when campaigning is scheduled to begin for the upcoming elections [JURIST news archive]. He assured [AFP report] Iraqis that the appeals panel will be able to rule on candidates' eligibility within the week. Al-Maliki's endorsement of the court http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/iraq-pm-election-ban-dispute-to-be.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Patrice Collins)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-5566673725461689878Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:53:00 +00002010-02-08T13:35:30.428-05:00[JURIST] Sir Mota Singh QC, Britain’s first Asian judge, said in an interview with BBC's Asian Network Monday that Sikhs [JURIST news archive] should be permitted to wear their ceremonial daggers [BBC report] to school and other public places. Sikhism requires that Sikh males wear the ceremonial dagger, known as a kirpan [Sikh Coalition backgrounder], at all times, but they are forbidden to use http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/uk-judge-criticizes-banning-of-sikh.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Ann Riley)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-6181419673761449686Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:40:00 +00002010-02-08T12:18:25.280-05:00[JURIST] US President Barack Obama said Sunday in an interview [video] with CBS News that he hasn't ruled out a civilian trial in New York City for accused 9/11 co-conspirator Khalid Sheikh Mohammed [JURIST news archive]. However, Obama stressed that he was considering the logistical and security issues that have been presented in making the decision. The Obama administration has faced growing http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/obama-still-considering-nyc-trial-for.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Dwyer Arce)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-5148542127999482928Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:34:00 +00002010-02-08T11:53:05.894-05:00[JURIST] The sodomy trial of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim [official profile; JURIST news archive] was temporarily suspended Monday as defense lawyers sought the removal of high court Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah for his failure to control prejudicial media coverage. The defense filed an objection asking Mohamad Zabidin to admonish Utusan Malaysia [media website, in Malay], a http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/malaysia-opposition-leader-seeking.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Hillary Stemple)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-4165552886982990120Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:12:00 +00002010-02-07T18:31:43.896-05:00[JURIST] Iranian authorities have arrested seven for allegedly planning to provoke rioting on February 11, the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution [BBC backgrounder], including several in the employ of the US Central Intelligence Agency [official website], according to a statement released Sunday by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security [GlobalSecurity backgrounder]. The seven http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/iran-officials-arrest-7-alleged-us.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Dwyer Arce)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-1911458053816760518Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:38:00 +00002010-02-07T18:18:12.499-05:00[JURIST] The Iraqi appeals panel that had ruled last week that 500 mostly Sunni politicians accused of ties to Saddam Hussein's Baath Party [BBC backgrounder] could stand in the coming elections reversed its decision Sunday. In its ruling [Reuters report], which was handed down as hundreds protested in Baghdad, the court stated that it was mistaken in thinking it had to rule on all 500 candidateshttp://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/iraq-appeals-panel-reverses-ruling-on.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Dwyer Arce)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-4090813620032099542Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:38:00 +00002010-02-07T13:15:54.622-05:00[JURIST] Israel has not shown that it will conduct a thorough and impartial investigation of alleged war crimes during the January 2009 Gaza conflict [JURIST news archive], Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] said [press release] Sunday. HRW said that it met with lawyers from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) [official website], but it did not receive information concerning how Israel was http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/israel-probe-of-gaza-fighting-not.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Czajkowski)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-3462087371826723475Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:37:00 +00002010-02-07T13:05:39.248-05:00[JURIST] Pakistan will begin to revise its blasphemy laws [AFP report] later this year, a government official told the Agence France-Presse Sunday. Pakistan's Federal Minister for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti [official profile] said he has been speaking to various political parties in Pakistan and that his government is committed to doing away with laws that are discriminatory to minorities. http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/pakistan-to-revise-blasphemy-laws.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Czajkowski)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-505174181314753078Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:29:00 +00002010-02-07T12:27:51.947-05:00[JURIST] The US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] on Friday urged [brief, PDF] the US Supreme Court [official website; JURIST news archive] to dismiss as moot an appeal filed by Chinese Muslim Uighurs detained at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archives]. The court granted certiorari [JURIST report] in the case, known as Kiyemba I [docket], in October to determine whether it is within http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/obama-administration-argues-uighur.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Ximena Marinero)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-5580709130403277069Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:23:00 +00002010-02-07T09:40:26.130-05:00[JURIST] Iraqi leaders on Saturday urged the country's Supreme Court to rule on the recent electoral appeals panel decision allowing about 500 candidates who had been banned for alleged ties to the outlawed Baath party [BBC backgrounder] to run in the March 7 parliamentary elections. The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) [official website] has turned to the Iraq Supreme Court http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/iraq-leaders-pressure-high-court-to.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Ximena Marinero)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079894.post-4916683063522113625Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:03:00 +00002010-02-06T20:06:47.222-05:00[JURIST] The head of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) [official website; JURIST news archive] Friday reassured [press release] the Lebanese public that the investigation is on track. When asked about the progress of the investigation into the death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri [JURIST news archive], the head of the STL underlined the fact that the Tribunal already has in http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/02/lebanon-tribunal-head-says-hariri-probe.phpnoreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Cohen)