The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday suspended the controversial Bombay High Court judgment which held that there had to be “skin to skin contact” for an offense to constitute sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO). The stay was ordered by Chief Justice Sharad Bobde after Attorney General KK [...]

On January 13, 2021, the American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility published ABA Opinion 496, “Responding to Online Criticism,” which delineates the ethical restrictions imposed on lawyers who wish to respond to unflattering online reviews. Recognizing the need to adapt to a changing world increasingly characterized by online interactions, the [...]

The Hathras gang rape in Uttar Pradesh in September 2020 saw the mutilation and eventual death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman at the hands of upper-caste men. This pattern of caste-based sexual violence reappeared shortly in the Badaun province of Uttar Pradesh, with the heinous gang rape of a middle-aged Dalit woman by an upper [...]

Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a motion to vote on the constitutionality of the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. The motion was brought to the floor by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who raised two objections to the trial going forward. First, he noted that the Constitution says impeachment only applies to the President, Vice-President, [...]

The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case that would have allowed them to rule on Texas law enforcement officers’ use of investigative hypnosis. Charles Don Flores was sentenced to death for the 1998 murder of Elizabeth Black. His conviction was based on eyewitness testimony obtained through “investigative hypnosis.” Law enforcement officers [...]

The Greek government implemented a weeklong ban on public gatherings of more than 100 people on Tuesday, including protests. The government cited the ongoing pandemic as the reason for the ordinance, which fines individuals USD $3,650 and groups $6,070 for violations. The restriction on the size of public protests drew criticism from left-wing political groups [...]

The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) produced a draft final report on Tuesday, stating that the US should pursue the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology for military use and development. The government-appointed panel considered the benefits and risks of autonomous weapons this week in a public discussion. The National Defense Authorization Act [...]

One of the men charged with plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has agreed to plead guilty, according to a plea agreement Wednesday. Six men were charged in October with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer. Garbin, along with Daniel Harris, Kaleb Franks and Brandon Caserta, were members of the Michigan-based “militia” group Wolverine Watchmen. Ty Gerard [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Tuesday upheld a district judge’s order for an environmental impact review of the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). However, the court declined to shut the line down while the review is completed. The DAPL transports crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois. The pipeline [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Tuesday rejected a Department of Defense (DOD) lawyer’s petition to view a hearing for convicted terrorist Ibrahim al Qosi Tuesday. Although this lawyer is a member of the DOD and works in the Military Commissions Defense Organization, a branch of the DOD that [...]