The Florida Supreme Court on Monday approved a citizen initiative to vote on an amendment to the state constitution on the legality of medical marijuana. In a 4-3 ruling, the Supreme Court determined that the ballot initiative met the requirements of the Florida Constitution, that it encompassed only one issue, and that the title and [...]

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled 11-6 on Tuesday that the state of Ireland is liable for the sexual abuse of a schoolgirl, aged nine, by a lay teacher in an Irish National School in 1973. Louise O’Keeffe brought the case to the European rights court after the Ireland high court ruled the [...]

The Parliament of Turkish-controlled Northern Cyprus passed a bill decriminalizing homosexual relations between men , making it the last European territory to do so. Like the anti-homosexuality laws of Isle of Man and Guernsey , Northern Cyprus’s law criminalizing homosexual relations was a holdover from British colonial rule, although the island became independent in 1960. [...]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Monday expressed grave concern regarding the continuing violence wracking Egypt in the wake of the three-year anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution . Pillay encouraged both protesters and security forces to exercise restraint and renounce the use of violence, reminding Egyptian authorities of its international obligation to [...]

The US Supreme Court ruled Monday in Burrage v. US to relax sentencing guidelines for drug dealers. Marcus Burrage was convicted of distribution of heroin causing death under 21 USC § 841 , and he appealed by challenging the causation instruction the courts were using for § 841. Burrage argued that the statute required the [...]

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) , the UN’s highest court, issued a ruling establishing a new maritime boundary between Peru and Chile on Monday. The ICJ granted Peru some parts of the Pacific Ocean formerly controlled by Chile but left Chile prosperous coastal fishing grounds. The decision ends disputes over the 14,670 square miles [...]

The UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers on Monday urged Qatar to consolidate its justice system and address its shortcomings. Gbrelia Knaul, the current Special Rapporteur, praised Qatar’s achievements over the past decade in establishing an independent judiciary, but criticized the justice system there for failing to uphold basic human rights. [...]

The US Supreme Court on Monday ruled unanimously to overturn a defamation judgment in Air Wisconsin Airlines Corp. v. Hoeper , in which a pilot sued the airline for reporting him as a security threat and calling him “mentally unstable.” At issue in this case was the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) . To [...]

The US Supreme Court ruled Monday in Sandifer v. US Steel Corp. that employees are not entitled to compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for time spent changing in and out of protective gear. The FLSA governs minimum wages and maximum hours for certain employees and specifically excludes the time it takes to [...]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Monday warned that the renewed clashes of anti-Balaka and ex-Seleka mark a critical time for Central African Republic (CAR) . Ex-Seleka groups are supported by armed Muslim civilians, while anti-Balaka are backed by former national army soldiers. Serious violence has been reported in the Bangui neighborhoods [...]