Alleged government violations of freedom of press and speech have been a recurring issue in Hungary. Last May Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] criticized the Hungarian government [press release] for ignoring recommendations by the Council of Europe [official website] to change its media laws that allegedly curtail press freedom. In December 2011 Hungary's Constitutional Court struck down [JURIST report] certain provisions of the media laws as an unconstitutional restraint on press freedom. Rights groups had urged Hungary to amend [JURIST report] the media laws. The media laws created the National Media and Communications Authority (NMHH) [official website, in Hungarian], which controls private television and radio broadcasters, newspapers and online news sites. Under the law, the government could impose costly fines on broadcasters, newspapers and news websites if their coverage is deemed unbalanced or immoral by the media authority. The Constitutional Court struck down provisions allowing the NMHH to regulate content in print and online media and limiting the rights of reporters to protect confidential sources.

This ruling follows a decision last month by Pohl approving [JURIST report] the US government's request for a protective order effectively blocking the public's access to accused 9/11 [JURIST backgrounder] conspirators' testimony regarding the alleged use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) [official website]. In April Pohl assigned himself [JURIST report] to preside over the tribunals of the five alleged plotters of the 9/11 terror attacks. 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.

Google has faced numerous allegations regarding its business practices over the past several years, both in the US and abroad. Last month, an Italian court overturned [JURIST report] a conviction against Google executives for privacy violations. In November a federal judge approved [JURIST report] a $22.5 million fine against Google for privacy misrepresentations. In February a federal judge dismissed [JURIST report] a challenge to Google's privacy changes by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) [advocacy website]. Earlier that month, a French court ruled [JURIST report] that Google Maps was practicing unfair competition.

Thursday's settlement is the latest development in a series of legal battles over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill since January 2012 when a federal judge ordered [JURIST report] British Petroleum (BP) [corporate website] to share partial liability with Transocean in oil spill claims. Last month a federal judge approved [JURIST report] a final class settlement between BP and those who experienced economic and property loss stemming from the spill. In November BP executives pleaded not guilty [JURIST report] to criminal charges stemming from the oil spill. Earlier that month BP agreed to pay [JURIST report] $4.5 billion in penalties for felony misconduct for its role in the spill.