France high court overturns colonial history law News
France high court overturns colonial history law

[JURIST] France's Constitutional Council [official website], the country's highest court, has struck down [court materials, in French] a clause in a 2005 French law [text, in French; Guardian report] that requires teachers to stress the positive aspects of French colonialism. The court reasoned it was "outside the competence of the legislature" to make such a determination. Earlier this year, French President Jacques Chirac said the law should be overturned [JURIST report] and last week referred the case [JURIST report] to the constitutional court. Xinhua has more. Le Monde has local coverage [in French].

THIS DAY @ LAW

Line of Demarcation divides the New World between Spain and Portugal

On May 4, 1493, Pope Alexander VI promulgated the Line of Demarcation, dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal in response the return of Christopher Columbus from his discovery of the American continents. However, neither country was entirely satisfied with the placement of the Line. A year later on June 7, 1494, the two nations signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, which moved the Line of Demarcation further west, giving Portugal claim to Brazil.

Kent State student shootings precipitated lawsuits

On May 4, 1970, National Guardsmen at Kent State University opened fire on students protesting the US invasion of Cambodia, killing four.

Review a legal chronology of the Kent State shootings, from May 5, 1970 (the day the FBI investigation started) to January 4, 1979 (the day the state of Ohio reached an out-of-court settlement for $675,000 with victims and relatives of victims).