Though Ghana's president elections were held last Friday, Mahama was not declared the winner until Sunday. The delays have been attributed to "technical glitches" with the country's new voting machines, and the problems forced many polling places to extend voting [BBC report]. Despite the issues, voter turnout was particularly high, with roughly 80 percent of 14 million registered voters casting ballots. This is the second presidential defeat for Akufo-Addo, who lost to Mahama in 2008 [BBC backgrounder] by less than 1 percent of the electorate.

Immigration law [JURIST backgrounder] has became a hot button issue over the past few years as many states have passed laws giving state and local officials more power to crack down on illegal immigration. Last month the Eleventh Circuit refused [JURIST report] Alabama's request to reconsider its ruling partially striking down that state's immigration law. Earlier in November a judge for the US District Court for the District of South Carolina [official website] upheld [JURIST report] part of South Carolina's controversial immigration law [SB 20 materials] that permits law enforcement officials to detain motorists on the side of the road for a "reasonable amount of time" while the officer checks the driver's immigration status. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit [official website] in September denied a request for a new injunction against a controversial provision of Arizona's immigration law [SB 1070, PDF] which requires law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of persons they stop or arrest if there is a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the US illegally. In August the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit [official website] again heard arguments [JURIST report] on two anti-illegal immigrant laws enacted in 2006 by the city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, which deny permits to businesses that employ illegal immigrants and fine landlords who extend housing to them.

Attempts to limit collective bargaining rights and the influence of labor unions have been confronted with heavy opposition. In September the Michigan Supreme Court ordered [JURIST report] a union-backed measure to amend the state constitution to include a right to labor unionization and collective bargaining to appear on the November ballot. The measure was defeated 57-43 percent [AP report]. Wisconsin faced a challenge against its legislation which limited the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions. In March a judge for the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin [official website] ruled unconstitutional [JURIST report] certain provisions of the state's Budget Repair Bill [text, PDF] reasoning that unions which supported Governor Scott Walker [official website] during his election were apparently given preferential treatment. Last November Ohio voters rejected [JURIST report] a bill which would have impacted Ohio's 400,000 public workers by limiting their ability to strike and collectively bargain for health insurance and pensions.

In April Pohl assigned himself [JURIST report] to preside over the tribunals of the five alleged plotters of the 9/11 terror attacks, scheduling a hearing for May 5. Earlier in April the Department of Defense (DOD) referred charges [JURIST report] to Pohl against the five accused 9/11 plotters. The DOD announced last year that it had sworn charges against the five men [JURIST report]. In April 2011 US Attorney General Eric Holder announced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the four others would be tried by a military commission [JURIST report] after the Obama administration abandoned attempts to have the 9/11 suspects tried in civilian courts. Holder had wanted the accused be tried before a federal civilian court but referred the cases to the DOD after Congress imposed a series of restrictions [JURIST reports] barring the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to the US.

Prosecutors delivered their closing arguments in August, asking the ICTY to impose a life sentence. Tolimir's trial, which began in February 2010 [JURIST report], was delayed several times due to his health. Last December, an intelligence officer was convicted by the court for refusing to testify against Tolimir [JURIST report]. Tolimir was arrested [JURIST report] in May 2007 by Bosnian police and was extradited to The Hague [JURIST report] that June. The indictment against him was confirmed in 2005.

The ICTB has arrested and indicted individuals accused of war crimes in connection to Bangladesh's war for independence. In August, police in Bangladesh arrested [JURIST report] a top member of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) [official website; GlobalSecurity backgrounder] after the ICTB ordered his arrest hours earlier. In July, the ICTB indicted Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, secretary general of the JI on seven counts of crimes against humanity [JURIST report] he allegedly committed during the war. Also, Bangladesh police arrested [JURIST report] Mir Kashem Ali for allegedly being an auxiliary to the Pakistani armed forces and running a torture facility at the Dalim Hotel during the war.

Illinois lawmakers, particularly those in Chicago, have struggled to limit firearm possession and advance gun control [JURIST news archive] initiatives in the city without violating the Constitution. In June the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois [official website] struck down [JURIST report] a portion of the Chicago Firearms Ordinance [text, PDF] that prevents firearm purchase by individuals who have "been convicted by a court in any jurisdiction of ... unlawful use of a weapon that is a firearm" because such a standard is unconstitutionally vague. The Ordinance was unanimously approved [JURIST report] by the Chicago City Council in July 2010, and imposes strict regulations on firearm possession. In particular, residents who possess firearms are required to keep them inside their homes, and are not permitted to take their guns into the yard, garage or porch of the home. The legislation was enacted four days after the Supreme Court ruled in McDonald v. Chicago [JURIST report] that the Second Amendment right to bear arms is applicable to the states as well as the federal government. The decision effectively struck down Chicago's former handgun ban, as it prohibited citizens from keeping handguns in their homes under any circumstances.

Marriage is one of the most important institutions we have in this country. It binds us together, brings long-term commitment and stability, and makes society stronger. Our proposals mean that marriage would be available to everyone. I feel strongly that, if a couple wish to show their love and commitment to each other, the State should not stand in their way. These changes will strengthen marriage in our society and ensure that it remains a modern and vibrant tradition. And we are also building a fairer society for all.

The Conservative party's decision was made in response to a government consultation [materials] on the issue. Although the government found 53 percent of citizens who responded in favor of same-sex marriage, it received petitions with over 500,000 signatures opposed to legalizing civil marriage. In response to the government's announcement, a bishop for the Church of England released a statement [text]: "Marriage is not the property of the Government nor is it the property of the Church; and while the forms and legalities around marriage have evolved over time, as the noble lady minister has pointed out, one fundamental feature has remained the same throughout: that marriage is a union of one man and one woman, a social institution that pre-dates both Church and State and has been the glue that has bound countless successive societies together."