The Garowe II Conference is one of the many steps the TFG has taken in order to create a functioning federal government in Somalia since the end of the Muhammad Siad Barre [Britannica profile] dictatorship in 1991. The plan for the new government developed at the conference is designed to replace the TFG [BBC report] and put in place a stable, more permanent government. There is skepticism among many observers as to whether this agreement will be implemented because Somalia has been involved in multiple agreements throughout the past few years. Details in the plan that need further development are expected to be worked out at the Somali conference in London, set to begin Thursday. Due to the lack of organized government in Somalia, maritime piracy has recently been a major issue. In November, France began the trial of six Somali pirates [JURIST report] on charges of hijacking, kidnapping and armed robbery in connection with a 2008 attack on a yacht. In October, two Somali pirates were sentenced to life in prison [JURIST report] by a judge in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

In 2008, Latvian voters rejected a referendum [JURIST report] to amend the country's constitution that would have given voters the power to dissolve the country's parliament, even though some voters remained discontented with the government and say that the Latvian MPs do not act in accordance with voter's wishes. Latvia was formally part of the Soviet Union, but joined NATO in April 2004. A month later the country officially entered the EU. The Latvian parliament has since adopted [JURIST report] the new EU reform treaty [JURIST news archive], properly known as the Treaty of Lisbon [text, PDF; official website].

Lawyers for Guantanamo detainees have previously raised concerns with practices used at the prison. Earlier this month, James Connell, defense lawyer for suspected 9/11 conspirator Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, filed suit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia [official website] challenging the order [JURIST report] for military officials to read all legal correspondence between the lawyers of the suspected 9/11 conspirators and their clients. Last month, Chief Defense Counsel for Guantanamo Bay war crimes tribunals, Colonel JP Colwel, ordered [JURIST report] attorneys under his command not to comply with the policy. Woods issued the rules [JURIST report] in December. Lawyers for the prisoners responded with a written memo stating that they did not agree to the rule because it violates attorney-client privilege and would erode their clients' right to counsel that is afforded by the US Constitution [text].

Israel has recently faced criticism for the country's policy toward Palestinians. Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] urged Israel [JURIST report] to change its policies that forbid Palestinians from traveling through and living in Gaza and the West Bank. The Israeli Supreme Court upheld [JURIST report] a law that prevents Palestinians who marry Israelis from obtaining Israeli citizenship. With its ruling the court again rejected the petition filed by Adalah [advocacy website], a civil rights group in Israel, arguing that the law is unconstitutional.

Myanmar's nominally civilian government has implemented numerous political reforms since winning the first elections held in 20 years in March 2011. Last month, in addition to releasing political prisoners, Myanmar President Thein Sein [BBC backgrounder] signed a clemency order that shortened sentences [JURIST report] for many prisoners on humanitarian grounds. In December, Sein gave his official approval to a bill allowing the country's citizens to conduct peaceful protests [JURIST report], if the protests are approved in advance. The Myanmar government also announced in December that the political party of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi [JURIST news archive] would be allowed to register for the next elections, a move that would allow Suu Kyi to run for parliament after being detained under house arrest [JURIST reports] for nearly eight years. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official profile] has praised [JURIST report] the country's strive toward democracy.

Earlier this month the Swedish Supreme Court announced that it will not hear an appeal [JURIST report] of the copyright convictions of Fredrik Neji, Peter Sunde and Carl Lundstroem for their involvement in running The Pirate Bay. After reviewing the case, the court found there were no special circumstances warranting review. The court could also have decided to hear the case if it determined a review by Sweden's highest court would be important for the country's law enforcement, but it declined to hear the appeal on those ground as well. The court's decision not to hear the appeal immediately prompted response from critics. The founder of the Pirate Party [party website in Swedish], a political party in Sweden, expressed concern [press release in Swedish] over the court's decision not to hear the case calling it a "fundamentally important" case that, if decided by the high court, would help to sort out future cases.