Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit Monday challenging a Kansas birth certificate policy that prevents transgender individuals from changing the gender designation on their birth certificates. Lambda filed the suit on behalf of four transgender Kansas residents. While no specific law prohibits changing the gender designation on birth certificates, the plaintiffs allege that Kansas enforces a policy [...]

The US Supreme Court declined Monday to hear an appeal by two paint manufacturers (Sherwin-Williams Co. and NL Industries, Inc.) seeking to limit their liability for lead poisoning. The paint manufacturers filed their appeal in July asking the court to decide whether the First Amendment allows the state of California to file tort actions against [...]

Companies worldwide must be accountable to their governments for ignoring human rights responsibilities, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights said in a report Tuesday. The experts urged businesses to comply with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in order to prevent negative impacts on human rights through due diligence. [...]

The Florida Supreme Court ruled Monday that Governor Rick Scott “exceeded his authority by directing the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission … to submit its nominations to fill” three upcoming Florida Supreme Court vacancies prior to the end of his term. The Florida Supreme Court cited Article 5, Section 11 (c) of the Florida Constitution [...]

An amendment to the Hungarian constitution, which prohibits people from living in public spaces, took effect Monday. The amendment provides police with the authority to issue warnings those in violation of the policy. If one receives four warnings within a 90-day period it can result in jail or six months community service. In 2013 the [...]

An Oregon federal judge on Monday ruled that a group of young Americans can move forward with a lawsuit against the US government for climate change inaction but that President Donald Trump cannot be named as a defendant in the case. The suit was initially filed in 2015 by 21 young people and Our Children’s [...]

The US Supreme Court granted certiorari Friday in a case that will determine whether private operators of public access channels qualify as state actors for First Amendment purposes. In Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck, the Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) suspended producer Jesus Melendez from a leadership program for allegedly harassing an employee. In response, Melendez and [...]

A judge for the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri ruled Friday that recent parole hearings violated the constitutional rights of inmates who are serving life without parole for juvenile offenses (JLWOP). The plaintiffs in this case are all people in Missouri prisons for homicide offenses committed when they were less than 18 [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the UK Monday to amend a new counter-terrorism bill, stating that the bill “excessively restrict freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and privacy.” The Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill makes it illegal for someone to express support for a terrorist organization if it “reckless” encourages others to support the [...]

French prosecutors have reportedly recommended dismissal of the charges against a group of current and former Rwandan officials suspected of involvement in the assassination of former Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana. Habyarimana, a member of the Hutu ethnic majority, died in April 1994 when the plane in which he was traveling was shot down near the [...]