Australia’s Victoria Court of Appeal on Friday refused to grant the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne leave to appeal an earlier decision concerning child sexual abuse allegations against the late Cardinal George Pell. In February 2022, an individual referred to as RWQ filed a claim against the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne alleging mental harm and nervous…
A recent Times investigation illustrated that the Ministry of Justice has been monitoring journalists who make information requests. In the UK, the right to request for and access recorded information managed by public authorities is safeguarded by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act. As per law, all UK…
The United States Department of State recently announced visa restrictions imposed on certain Chinese officials on account of the supposedsystematic assimilation of over a million Tibetan children in state-run boarding schools. This move is seen as an element of a larger framework put into place by the Biden administration to address China’s handling of its…
US journalist, Evan Gershkovich, recently filed an appeal against the most recent extension of his pre-trial detention in Russia on charges of espionage, as reported by Russian state media. This marks Gershkovich’s third appeal, following his appeal against his second extension of pre-trial detention and his appeal against his initial arrest back in April. According…
The UK Prime Minister pledged on Saturday to bring forth legislation mandating sentences of life imprisonment, or “whole life orders,” for people convicted of the most severe murder cases. This decree will mean that these convicts will spend the entirety of their lives behind bars. Read more on JURIST – News The Prime Minister’s announcement…
According to the Haitian rights groups Center of Analysis and Research in Human Rights (CARDH) and Fondasyon Je Klere, at least seven people were killed during a gang attack against a protest organized by a church leader. The groups claim that the gang discharged machine guns into the crowds in Canaan, a town located outside…
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently issued an executive order commanding military units to swear an oath of allegiance to the Russian state, according to a report from JURIST. The order stipulates that individuals must “strictly follow the orders of commanders and superiors.” As per Article 87 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the President…
Texas District Court Judge Maria Cantú Hexsel temporarily blocked SB 14, a recently passed legislation which prohibits gender-affirming care for minors and imposes restrictions on children already on gender-affirming prescription drugs. The injunction was issued before the law could have taken effect on Friday in Travis County, Texas. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak breached parliamentary rules by failing to declare a relevant interest, determined the UK parliamentary commissioner on Thursday. His omission pertains to his interest in a childcare agency where his wife is a shareholder, an agency that could see benefits from new policies announced in the Spring Budget. The full report of…
A recent report reveals alarming levels of sexual assault of women and girls in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, following a signed peace agreement to end conflict. The investigating bodies, Physicians for Human Rights and the Organization for Justice and Accountability in the Horn of Africa, studied over 300 random medical records from Tigray health centers dedicated…
Anti-government protests in the Druze city of Sweida, Southern Syria, evolved into their fifth day on Thursday. A significant trigger to these demonstrations has been a spike in fuel prices, which further aggravated the challenging economic circumstances dominant in the area. Demonstrators are primarily demanding the removal of President Bashar-al-Assad from power. Evidence of such…
38-year-old Burmese hip-hop artist Byu Har has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for purportedly criticizing the military leadership in Myanmar. His verdict was revealed by a family member who shared the information with the Associated Press. Har’s arrest on May 24 followed a live-stream on Facebook in which he referred to the current…
A recent development indicates that Spain has failed to comply with international law, as per the findings of a UN Human Rights Committee on Follow-Up Rapporteur. The findings, which have been published, reveal that Spain did not implement the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) decision concerning the case of Baltasar Garzón v Spain. Interestingly,…
The Supreme Court of the Netherlands has ruled that Palestinians cannot proceed with a lawsuit against Israeli military officers for their alleged involvement in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip in 2014. The lawsuit is directed toward Benny Gantz, former military veteran and subsequent politician, and Amir Eshel, former Chief of Air Staff, who are…
On Friday, French prosecutors announced a court referral regarding an investigation into former French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s alleged involvement with Libyan financiers. Sarkozy, along with his twelve co-defendants, are set to stand trial on corruption and illegal financing charges in 2025. The decision to refer Sarkozy to criminal court was endorsed by two financial judges….
A Maryland federal judge denied on Thursday a request from parents to ‘opt-out’ their children from LGBTQ+ history and topics education. The case, Mahmoud v. McKnight, involved three families with elementary-aged children who objected on religious grounds to the use of storybooks featuring LGBTQ+ characters in the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) system. The lawsuit…
The Supreme Court of Vanuatu, in a decision presided by Judge Edwin Goldsbrough, has ruled that Vanuatu’s opposition party won a no-confidence motion against incumbent Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau. The verdict came on the heels of an initial ruling by the Parliament speaker, who concluded that the motion fell short, as it had not achieved…
Leading abortion providers, alongside Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, two physicians, and Greenville Women’s Clinic have filed a petition imploring the Supreme Court of South Carolina to reassess its decision to support a rigorous state law that prohibits abortions past six weeks of gestation. This plea was filed following a day after the court reached a…
About 100 Afghan women, hoping to receive higher education in Dubai, were halted on their journey by Taliban authorities. Sponsored by Dubai-based businessman Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, the women were provided with scholarships in conjunction with the University of Dubai. In a public statement, Al Habtoor expressed outrage at the situation, citing a lack of…
The Nicaraguan Ministry of Interior recently ordered the cancellation of the legal status of the Jesuit religious community, a Catholic congregation, and confiscation of all its property. This action has been attributed to the community’s failure to report their financial statements with detailed breakdowns over the fiscal periods of 2020, 2021, and 2022. Furthermore, the…
In an episode continuing to unfold, South Korean police arrested a notable number of protesters demonstrating outside the Japanese embassy. The issue at stake lies in the contentious decision by the Japanese government to dispose of treated radioactive water resulting from the 2011 Fukushima disaster into the ocean. All eyes have been on this act…
The European Union (EU) has called for more inclusive democratic procedures in the Central African Republic (CAR) in the wake of a contentious constitutional referendum that led to the extension of presidential term limits. The EU’s foreign affairs spokesman, Peter Stano, took note of the referendum’s results, expressed concern about the ongoing political polarization in…
New details regarding the history of US Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas, accepting lavish gifts during his tenure have been revealed in a recent report by ProPublica. The report suggests that Thomas did not disclose receiving millions of dollars worth of gifts from several multi-millionaires who have been known to share his conservative views. Notably,…
Rhissa Ag Boula, a former rebel leader and politician in Niger, launched a resistance movement on Wednesday known as the Council of Resistance for the Republic (CRR). This new group seeks to resist the junta that assumed power following the July 26 coup, with the overall aim of restoring former President Mohamed Bazoum to power….
Former US President Donald Trump and his aide Waltine Nauta entered not-guilty pleas onnew criminal charges in their federal classified documents case on Thursday in a Florida courtroom. Trump pleaded not guilty to three new charges and Nauta pleaded not guilty to an additional charge, according to JURIST – News. The third co-defendant added to…