The cornerstone of military justice is ensuring that commanders at all levels, called convening authorities, do not influence the lawful carrying out of investigations and prosecutions of service members who violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Developed through customs of the service over two centuries and codified by Congress in the early 1950’s, [...]
The Russian Federation formally charged US citizen Paul Whelan with espionage Thursday, according to Russian news agency Interfax. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested Whelan on December 28. Under Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, espionage is punishable by 10-20 years in prison. The family of Whelan, a retired US Marine, [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on Thursday rejected an appeal by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge Number 7, blocking them from intervening in the court-ordered reform program aimed at combating the Chicago police’s pattern of unconstitutional use of force. In January 2017 the US Department of Justice (DOJ) released a [...]
A judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday against New York City’s Local Law 146, which would have required home-sharing sites, like Airbnb and HomeAway, to submit monthly reports detailing short-term rental transactions to the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement. The report would [...]
President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil issued a provisional measure on Tuesday and a decree on Wednesday restructuring the responsibilities of the ministry of agriculture, including giving the ministry control over the creation and regulation of indigenous lands and reserves. Bolsonaro took office on January 1 after his victory in the October elections. He is recognized [...]
The Supreme Court of California declined Wednesday to block a law requiring state police departments to publicly disclose reports arising from improper officer use of force. The San Bernadino County Sheriff’s Employees’ Benefit Association, a police employee union in San Bernadino county, petitioned the court to block the release of records from before 2019, arguing [...]
The Court of Appeal for Ontario declared on Wednesday that Uber’s arbitration clause for its drivers is invalid both because it violates the Arbitration Act and because the arbitration clause is unconscionable. The lawsuit was filed by an Uber driver who is seeking a class action lawsuit designation that seeks to declare that Uber driver [...]
Effective on Tuesday, Washington state increased the age limit for purchasing semiautomatic assault rifles from 18 to 21 years old. For individuals between the ages of 18 and 21 years old, the law allows the individuals to possess a semiautomatic assault rifle under certain conditions. This includes in the person’s house, business, or on real [...]
As of Tuesday, the US and Israel are no longer part of the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Trump administration’s State Department had announced withdrawal in October 2017 to be effective at the end of 2018. At that same time US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, commented with a release implying [...]
Vietnam’s controversial new cybersecurity law took effect Tuesday, alarming free speech advocates. While the law has not been officially published, a copy of the draft, which was passed by the National Assembly on June 12, has been released by VNEconomy. This text indicates the provisions of the law, outlining the scope and the information that [...]
