Victoria, Australia Attorney General Jaclyn Symes Tuesday told reporters that police will not be given additional powers once the recently enacted decriminalization of public intoxication reforms go into effect. Symes acknowledged that implementing more powers would undermine the decriminalization. That said, Symes said that even without additional powers, police will work with stakeholders to ensure [...]
The Dutch Senate Tuesday voted 56-15 to amend the Constitution to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and disability in a major victory for Dutch LGBTQ+ and disability rights activists. The Senate voted on a proposal to amend Article 1 of the Constitution which reads: All persons in the Netherlands shall be treated [...]
The Indian Supreme Court Monday ruled that bail granted under Section 167 of the Code of Criminal Procedure can be revoked even if the investigating agency failed to complete the investigation and file a chargesheet within the given timeframe if the accused has committed a non-bailable offense and a strong case is made out against [...]
The US District Court for the District of Columbia Tuesday granted partial default judgment against the Islamic Republic of Iran for failing to appear and defend itself against claims of aiding and abetting terrorists. The plaintiffs said that Iran provided “material support and resources to multiple terrorist organizations in Iraq and Afghanistan that perpetrated various [...]
The Pacific Island Forum Wednesday expressed concern in a public seminar over Japan’s plans to discharge radioactive waste from reactors damaged in the Fukushima nuclear disaster into the Pacific Ocean. Secretary General Henry Puna discussed the findings of an independent panel of experts on Japan’s plan and claimed that Japan’s assertion of safety lacks scientific [...]
In a filing released Tueday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) argued before a federal judge in Amarillo, Texas that reversing the approval of medication abortion drug mifepristone would “dramatically harm” public interest. The FDA argued that the drug was a “meaningful therapeutic benefit to patients” and had benefited thousands of women. The FDA [...]
The US Supreme Court Tuesday declined to hear an appeal by a professional photographer who sued a hospitality tech company for removing copyright metadata from his photos in violation of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). The US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of the case on summary [...]
The Philippine Court of Tax Appeals Wednesday acquitted Nobel-winning journalist Maria Ressa and her news website Rappler of tax evasion charges. According to the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ), the maximum sentence for the four tax charges amounted to 34 years in prison. Hold The Line Coalition (HTL), a group of Ressa supporters, welcomed the [...]
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Tuesday ordered Russia to recognize same-sex unions. The ruling came in response to an appeal by three gay couples who were denied the ability to marry by Russian authorities. It remains to be seen whether Russia will implement the court’s ruling. A bench of 17 judges presided over [...]
Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya Tuesday condemned the ongoing trial in absentia against her and other opposition figures, calling it “revenge by a pathetic dictator who lost power & tries to take revenge on all who stood up for freedom.” Tikhanovskaya accused Alexander Lukashenko of losing the 2020 Belarusian elections to her, selling Belarusian sovereignty [...]
