Search Results for: ordinance

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday on whether enforcing public camping ordinances against unhoused people without adequate shelter is cruel and unusual punishment and, therefore, prohibited by the Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution. The case, Grants Pass v. Johnson, originated in southern Oregon. The central question before the court revolves around the [...]

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) stated on Wednesday that Hong Kong authorities detained its representative Aleksandra Bielakowska for six hours and later deported her from the territory. Bielakowska was about to attend the trial of Jimmy Lai, the founder of Apple Daily. During the six-hour detainment, the authorities conducted a search three times on Bielakowska and [...]

Radio Free Asia’s (RFA) president, Bay Fang, announced Friday that the news organization has already closed its Hong Kong bureau and will “no longer have full-time personnel in Hong Kong” due to safety concerns after the enactment of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The statement cited actions by Hong Kong authorities, who have referred to [...]

Hong Kong’s recently enacted Safeguarding National Security Ordinance blocked the first inmate’s sentence remission under the Prison Rules on Tuesday. The same day, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said that serious national security crime offenders would not likely be granted early release unless the Commissioner of Correctional Services believes early release would not undermine [...]

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new bill into law on Wednesday that prohibits homeless individuals from sleeping in public spaces, such as sidewalks and parks. The bill, HB 1365, is set to take effect on October 1. DeSantis claimed the bill aims to address public safety and quality of life by ensuring homeless individuals [...]

The Hong Kong District Court jailed 12 activists on Saturday, with sentences ranging from 54 months to 82 months, for their previous riot convictions. Judge Li Zhihao reasoned that the case was particularly serious because the Legislative Council Complex enjoys “a unique constitutional status and symbolizing meaning” and the activists destroyed the complex with the [...]

The Hong Kong Court of First Instance upheld pro-democracy activists Chow Hang-tung, Tang Ngok-kwan and Tsui Hon-kwong’s convictions of failing to comply with notice to provide information under Article 43 of the China-imposed National Security Law. Schedule 5 of the Implementation Rules of Article 43 states that the Commissioner of Police may serve a notice [...]

Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal upheld Hong Kong activist Tam Tak-chi’s sedition convictions on Thursday and refused to grant him leave to appeal his convictions. The District Court of Hong Kong previously sentenced Tam on April 20, 2022 to 40 months in prison over sedition charges. He was found guilty of uttering seditious words, holding [...]

The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal unanimously ruled Tuesday that seven activists’ “systemic proportionality challenge” to the constitutionality of Section 17A(3) of the Public Order Ordinance is not reasonably arguable. While the court refused to grant leave to the activists on their systemic proportionality challenge, the court accepted their “operational proportionality challenge” and scheduled [...]

The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (CFA) refused to grant leave to the government on Friday to appeal the acquittals of seven pro-democracy activists. The lower court overturned the activists’ convictions for organizing an unauthorized assembly but upheld their convictions for participating in an unauthorized assembly. The lower court reasoned that leading and directing [...]