US Representative Scott Perry (R-PA) on Monday introduced a bill to nationally legalize cannabidiol (CBD) oil, or marijuana extract, which has been shown to treat seizures in children suffering from epilepsy. Although the bill, called the “Charlotte’s Web Medical Hemp Act of 2014,” does not legalize all forms of marijuana for medical use, it does [...]

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Monday issued a report documenting what it refers to as “the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in eastern Ukraine” and calling for greater care to prevent civilian casualties in the region. While issuing a news report by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, [...]

US Federal Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr. on Saturday ruled that the District of Columbia law prohibiting the carrying of pistols in public is unconstitutional. It is reported that Judge Scullin issued an order addressed to the city and police department to end the ban on firearms. However, it has been undetermined if actual notice [...]

The European Court of Human Rights handed down two rulings finding the Polish government in violation of European human rights laws based on the establishment of prison center used for illegal detainment and torture of terrorist suspects. Amnesty International (AI) on Thursday reported that the secret prison was established by the Polish Government in an [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit announced Friday that it will hear oral arguments on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage bans in Indiana and Wisconsin before a panel of three judges in August. The states requested that their arguments be heard en banc, but the court rejected the request . Federal judges [...]

The US House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill that would make it legal for individuals to open the digital locks on their cellphones. The process, known as unlocking or jailbreaking, is currently illegal , punishable by fines of up to $500,000 and five years in jail for unlocking cellphones without the authorization of [...]

Top Palestinian officials on Friday filed a complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC) , accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza. Palestinian Justice Minister Saleem Al-Saqqa and Gaza court public prosecutor Ismail Jabr started legal proceedings over the 18 days of fighting between Hamas and Israel that has killed over 800 Palestinians and 35 [...]

A federal judge for the US District Court for the District of Colorado on Wednesday struck down Colorado’s ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, but he elected to stay his ruling until August 25 pending an appeal to a higher court. Wednesday’s ruling found in favor of six same-sex couples who brought a challenge to [...]

The United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday announced its intention to create an international commission of inquiry that will investigate all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Specifically the inquiry will focus on violations that may have been committed during Israel’s latest military offensive [...]

JURIST Guest Columnist Victor Sanchez Williams of the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law discusses the constitutionality of the debt limit statute and why it needs to be eliminated … Partisan conflict has brought our nation to the brink of catastrophic debt default three times since 2011. Markets are again on default watch [...]