Over fifty years ago, Congress enacted the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to fight against organized crime, from the mafia to minor money laundering schemes. This act allows not only for criminal penalties for violations, but also permits private individuals to file civil lawsuits as a result of the defendant’s “racketeering activity,” if…
The US Supreme Court has recently confirmed that it will hear the case concerning the dismissal of employees working at Starbucks, who were seeking to unionize; the case is known as Starbucks Corp. v. McKinney. The crux of the Supreme Court review will be to establish the legal standard by which courts should assess National…
The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Friday that it has granted certiorari in a case which challenges the legality of cities banning or heavily restricting encampments of unhoused people on public land. The case, known as City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, aligns a discussion around the 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which…
The US Supreme Court agreed recently that it would look into if a plaintiff has to exhaust all available state administrative remedies before taking up a federal civil rights claim before a court. The court will base its decision on the case, Williams v. Washington. This case springs from a verdict in the Supreme Court…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s recent decision in the In re: Cellect LLC case may have seismically shifted the landscape for patent holders. The court’s ruling of patent invalidity in Cellect could impose substantial risks to patent holders, especially with subsequent child applications that might be deemed unpatentable under the judicially…
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico has recently announced his plans to launch a set of constitutional reform initiatives in February. These proposed reforms are intended to boost the income of citizens and address improvements in justice and democratic processes. In his announcement, the president described the upcoming proposals as a package that encompasses…
The Indian Supreme Court granted protection from arrest to Union Minister of State Nisith Pramanik on Friday, pertaining to an attempted murder case filed against him. This ruling assists Pramanik in carrying out his duties without the disruption of arrest as he oversees various aspects of internal security and administrative functions for the Home Affairs…
The Bangladesh High Court has upheld a decision nullifying the candidacy of Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhary, a politician nominated by the Awami League. The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh had previously cancelled Chowdhary’s candidacy for the district of Chittagong-16, in response to allegations that Chowdhary had assaulted a journalist and threatened police. The High Court Justices…
The Indian Supreme Court refused on Friday to grant a stay on a recently enacted law regulating the appointment, service terms and duration of office for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs). However, a notice has been issued to the central government following a plea from Jaya Thakur, leader of the Indian…
Human Rights Watch (HRW) unveiled its 2024 World Report, painting a portrait of the current global human rights condition. This report identifies ‘transactional diplomacy’ as a key factor undermining global human rights platforms, enabling autocrats to exacerbate rights abuses. Transactional diplomacy, according to HRW Executive Director Tiran Hassan, occurs when governments neglect the advantages of…