The UK House of Commons voted Tuesday to advance the “Tobacco and Vapes Bill” that would make it illegal for anyone born in 2009 or later to buy tobacco and add restrictions to vaping. Legislators voted in favour of the bill in a 383 to 67 vote. Rather than banning smoking outright, the restrictions apply to [...]
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Explainer: US Supreme Court Prepares for Oral Arguments in Local Corruption Case
The US Supreme Court will hear arguments on Monday in Snyder v. United States, a case involving illegal gratuities paid to a local government official. The issue is whether the federal government can use 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B)—known as federal funds bribery—to prosecute those who give and take illegal gratuities or whether the statute only [...]
Federal Judge Maryellen Noreika on Friday refused to grant Hunter Biden’s motion to dismiss the federal gun charges he is currently facing. This means the case against Hunter Biden, who is US President Joe Biden’s son, will continue. Hunter Biden’s original motion to dismiss the charges alleged that the appointment of Special Counsel David Weiss, [...]
Canada Supreme Court finds collective Indigenous rights supersede individual Charter rights
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) upheld a rule on Thursday, requiring members of a Yukon First Nation to live in its community if they wish to serve on its council. Cindy Dickson, a Canadian citizen and member of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation (VGFN), challenged a residency requirement imposed by the VGFN Constitution. The [...]
Thailand House of Representatives votes to legalise same-sex marriage
The Thai House of Representatives approved Wednesday an equal marriage bill, with 400 favouring votes out of 415 members of the house. The bill still requires approval from the Senate and endorsement from the king. If the Senate and the king approve the legislation, Thailand will become the third Asian country/region that recognises same-sex marriage, after [...]
HRW calls for fair, transparent and impartial proceedings in Seychelles anti-corruption case
Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a statement issued Thursday called on Seychelles to hold fair and open legal processes against former presidential advisor Mukesh Valabhji and other defendants accused of embezzlement and money laundering in addition to unlawful firearm possession and conspiracy to commit terrorism in November 2021. Valabhji and his wife were both implicated [...]
India's largest opposition party claims government froze bank accounts ahead of general elections
India’s largest opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC), claimed on Thursday that the Indian Income Tax (IT) Department froze their bank accounts over alleged discrepancies from assessment years as early as 1994-95. Assessment years refer to the period in which taxpayers assess and report their income to the tax authorities for tax calculation purposes. [...]
The Georgia House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday prohibiting companies that benefit from state economic development incentives from recognizing unions without first conducting formal secret-ballot elections. The bill, Senate Bill 362, now awaits Governor Brian Kemp’s signature to become law in the state. The bill has sparked debate regarding its compliance with federal [...]
The New York Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a lawsuit from Tax Equity Now New York (TENNY), which alleges disparities in the New York City property tax system are disproportionately burdening low-income and majority-people-of-color neighborhoods, can go forward in the New York state courts. Judge Jenny Riviera, writing for the court, ruled that the [...]
Civil liberties network report highlights decline of rule of law in EU
The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) published its Liberties Rule of Law Report 2024 on Monday, in which the organization raised concerns about the declining state of the rule of law and weakening democratic checks and balances across the EU. Liberties, headquartered in Berlin, is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that promotes civil liberties for [...]