The cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a special bill on Friday allowing the reigning Emperor Akihito to abdicate his throne. This development comes after the 83-year-old emperor hinted at the negative impact the grueling schedule had on his health during a televised remark last year. The current laws preclude the emperor from retiring, [...]

The Human Rights Division of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) released a report on Friday that revealed the findings of a year-long investigation into human rights violations in the Yei Town, Central Equatoria area of South Sudan. The human rights violations stem from violence between the government and opposition forces led by [...]

JURIST Guest Columnist, Roy S. Gutterman, of School of Public Communications at Syracuse University discusses the implications of late-night television political satire and the effect of FCC regulation on the First Amendment… Since the election late-night TV show hosts have been making a killing at the expense of the Trump administration. But new Federal Communications [...]

A settlement was reached between plaintiffs and several car manufacturers in a lawsuit concerning defective Takata airbag inflators on Thursday. The faulty airbags would rupture and expel debris, causing injury and damage to the vehicle’s cabin. At least 16 deaths were linked to the defect. Toyota, Subaru, Mazda and BMW will collectively pay out $553 [...]

Romania’s parliament approved legislation on Friday that facilitates financial support for Holocaust survivors. The law, which will be enforced starting July 1, will offer 400 lei (USD $97.98) per month for each year of deportation or detention to those who had their property taken or were forcefully removed from their homes to endure ghettos, concentration [...]

More than a dozen Democratic attorneys general filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit that threatens key parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on Thursday. House v. Price (formerly House v. Burwell) , a suit currently pending in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit , was filed in [...]

The US Department of the Treasury on Thursday announced sanctions against eight Venezuelan Supreme Court justices for usurping democracy. The sanctions come after the court has issued controversial rulings, including dissolving the legislature . The rulings were met with backlash and protests . As a result the treasury announced sanctions against the justices pursuant to [...]

The California Rifle and Pistol Association , the state affiliate of the National Rifle Association (NRA), filed a lawsuit on Thursday seeking to prevent California from enforcing stricter gun laws. The complaint seeks declaratory and injunctive relief against the measure that limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds. The complaint argues the restrictions are in violation [...]

Sweden’s Director of Public Prosecution, Marianne Ny, dropped the preliminary investigation of rape charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Friday. The decision was made on the grounds that in order to continue with court proceedings, Assange would need to be physically present. Assange has been protected by asylum, living in the Ecuadorean embassy in [...]

Oregon became the second US state to enact legislation that makes it easier for transgender individuals to change the name and gender on their birth certificates on Thursday. The law allows transgender Oregon residents to amend their name and gender identification by filling out a form rather than having to post a public notice in [...]