An aggravating circumstance is any factor surrounding a criminal act that increases the severity of the harm or the culpability of the offender. When present, an aggravating circumstance elevates the charge to a higher classification. The result is a harsher penalty at sentencing. The International Criminal Court should consider designating evidence of drugged action (combatants [...]
On November 10, right-wing Knesset member Itamar Ben-Gvir proposed a bill that would use the death penalty to punish Palestinian terrorists convicted of killing Israeli citizens. Some Knesset members have argued that such a law would prevent future prisoner release swaps, as there would be little value for a dead prisoner in such an exchange. [...]
A ceasefire is an agreed-upon temporary cessation of hostilities, allowing for negotiation and the delivery of humanitarian aid. It has no legal definition under international law. As Israel and Hamas are now engaged in a ceasefire, a small glimmer of light appears. The last 20 living hostages have been returned to Israel. In exchange, Israel [...]
“It’s hurting so bad,” Byron Black said five minutes after the State of Tennessee initiated his execution last month. The 69-year-old’s anguished words echoed through the death chamber as a device designed to save lives may have prolonged his dying, creating the very cruelty the Constitution forbids. Mr. Black had suffered from congestive heart failure, [...]
Last month, actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their Santa Fe home. Along with their bodies, one of the couple’s dogs, a 12-year-old Australian kelpie named Zinna, was also found dead. How they died matters, as in all cases of unexplained death. When death appears to be criminal, investigators [...]
The evidence is now irrefutable that Hamas and its confederates tortured the hostages released from Gaza in November 2023. A new hostage exchange deal has just seen the release of three Israeli women who had been held hostage by Hamas for 471 days. Make no mistake, despite braided hair, clean clothes, and “gift bags” for [...]
On December 15, Israel announced the closure of its embassy in Ireland. Israel blamed extreme anti-Israel policies brought forth by the Irish government. The last straw may have been Ireland’s decision to join with South Africa in the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that accuses Israel of genocide. Ireland has asked the [...]
Recently, the International Criminal Court (ICC) rejected Israel’s challenge to jurisdiction and issued arrest warrants for the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The charges against Netanyahu and Gallant are for crimes against humanity and war crimes alleged to have been committed between October 8, 2023, and May 20, 2024. [...]
In the Israel-Hamas war, accusations of an Israeli “genocide” against the people of Gaza have created fierce debate and, consequently, warrant a reappraisal of the meaning of the term. Far from the historical and legal definition of the word, accusations of genocide against Israel have transformed the very essence of the word. This is lexical [...]
In legend, Achilles, Greek warrior and hero of the Trojan War, fought Trojan prince Hector to avenge the death of his friend Patroclus. Hector had killed Patroclus, and he planned to cut off Patroclus’ head and give his body to the dogs for food. Before the fight, Hector waits for Achilles and then proposes that [...]
