The logic of the past can no longer be used to ignore the expectations of the youth and to limit their freedoms. People from all walks of life, in particular the youth, are now demanding their rights, including the right to freedom of expression, right to freedom of assembly, and basic economic, social and cultural rights, such as job opportunities. The Government should listen to such voices.

Last week, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika [official profile, in French] declared an initiative for sweeping constitutional and political reforms [JURIST report] in order to increase the role of democracy in the African nation. In February, the Algerian Council of Ministers approved a draft ordinance repealing the country's 19-year state of emergency, delivering on a promise made the week before [JURIST reports] by Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci. The state of emergency gave the government power to limit political freedoms and even peaceful protests. Opponents also claimed that the state of emergency gave rise to arbitrary detentions. Algeria had been under a state of emergency since 1992 when the military canceled elections fearing a win by religious fundamentalists. The state of emergency was declared [DOS backgrounder] after it became apparent that the militant Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) would win control of the government. Bouteflika came to power, winning the presidency in 1999 with 70 percent of the official vote and appearing to have the backing of the military.

Not every offense to a State's dignity constitutes a denial of sovereign immunity. The specific indignity against which sovereign immunity protects is the insult to a State of being haled into court without its consent; that does not occur just because a suit happens to be brought by another state agency.

The opinion overturns the ruling [opinion, PDF] by the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit [official website] that the suit by the petitioner was barred under the Eleventh Amendment and did not fall within the Ex Parte Young doctrine. The Fourth Circuit reasoned that a suit by a state agency against state officials is an intramural state dispute and to allow it to be brought in federal court would be inconsistent with our system of dual sovereignty. The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case [oral arguments transcript, PDF] last year.

Last month, al-Assad ordered the formation of a committee [JURIST report] that evaluated possible elimination of the country's 48-year-old state of emergency law. The panel was composed of legal experts and charged with examining potential legislative measures that would simultaneously preserve national security and allow the revocation of the law, which permitted arrest without charge and banned political protests. The announcement may have been an effort to appease demonstrators, whose activity had recently increased, while also conveying that any future reforms would proceed at a gradual pace. In March, al-Assad announced that the government would consider ending the state of emergency [JURIST report]. Also in March, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] urged the Syrian government [JURIST report] to ensure protesters' rights to peaceful expression and to work toward addressing their concerns instead of responding with violence.

Protests erupted in several Arab nations following those in Tunisia. Law enforcement authorities in those countries, including Bahrain, Yemen and Egypt, have been heavily criticized for how they have handled the protests. Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] released a report [text; PDF] this month urging the international community to pressure Yemeni authorities to investigate the death of protesters [JURIST report]. The UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) [official website] also urged the Yemeni government [JURIST report] to discontinue using force against peaceful protesters. In March, a commission of Arab and Egyptian human rights groups accused [JURIST report] former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak [Al Jazeera profile] and the police of murdering protesters during the demonstrations in Egypt.

Last month, Congressional Democrats introduced legislation that would repeal DOMA [JURIST report]. Earlier in March, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) [official website] announced the launch of a legal advisory group [JURIST report] to defend DOMA. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website] filed the lawsuit [complaint, PDF; JURIST report] in which the House wishes to intervene last November on behalf of Edith Windsor. Windsor, who was legally married to another woman, is challenging estate taxes assessed on property transferred to her after her wife's death that would not have been assessed on such a transfer between married partners of opposite sex.

Apple has also been embroiled in litigation with Nokia marked by trading accusations of patent infringement. Last month, Nokia filed actions against Apple [JURIST report] in the ITC and a court in Delaware accusing Apple of violating seven patents. In December, the litigation spread to Germany, the UK and the Netherlands where Nokia filed 13 patent infringement complaints [JURIST report] against Apple. Last May, Nokia filed a complaint [JURIST report] in the US District Court in the Western District for Wisconsin [official website] alleging that Apple iPad and iPhone 3G products infringe additional Nokia patents. Apple counter-sued last December, claiming Nokia had stolen 13 patents from the company.