New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a piece of legislation on Tuesday that makes it illegal to sell cigarettes to individuals under the age of 21. The legislation, passed by the New York City Council , is intended to decrease smoking rates in New York City. Bloomberg claimed this measure “ill prevent young people [...]

The Israeli Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the detention of Samer al-Baraq without trial. Al-Baraq, a Palestinian citizen suspected of being an al Qaeda biological weapons expert, has been detained for over three years. Al-Baraq obtained military training in Afghanistan and was recruited by al Qaeda’s alleged current leader, Ayman al-Zawahri . Prosecutors allege that [...]

The Spanish National Court issued arrest orders for former Chinese president Jiang Zemin and four other Chinese officials on Tuesday, including former prime minister Li Peng, former security and police chief Qiao Shi , Chen Kuiyan, a former Communist Party official in Tibet, and Pen Pelyun, ex-family planning minister. The arrest orders come as part [...]

The Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) state war crimes court on Tuesday released 10 prisoners connected to war crimes committed during the Bosnian Civil War following a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) . Six of these individuals were convicted of genocide for their roles in the Srebrenica massacre . Two others were [...]

US Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) on Monday introduced a bill aimed at limiting frivolous patent lawsuits. The proposed legislation, known as the Patent Transparency and Improvements Act of 2013 , is designed to increase transparency in the US patent process and improve resources for small businesses that are targeted in patent [...]

The Primorsky Court in St. Petersburg granted bail on Tuesday to seven Greenpeace International activists awaiting trial on charges of hooliganism . The activists, who may be released on bail , are from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Italy, New Zealand and Poland. Bail was set at 2 million rubles (approximately USD $61,500) and must be paid [...]

JURIST Guest Columnist Alfred Williams, Jr., St. John’s University School of Law Class of 2014, is the author of the seventh article in a 10-part series from the staffers of the Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development. Williams explores issues with New York City’s current land use procedure and offers a possible solution…

Washington, DC, Mayor Vincent Gray , signed into law the DC Drivers Safety Amendment Act of 2013 on Monday, which will allow the District Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue “limited purpose” driver’s licenses to undocumented DC residents. Gray introduced the bill in May, saying, “the legislation is the right thing to do for [...]

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution Monday restating its call for member states to take steps against piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia and the Horn of Africa. The resolution urges UN member states to cooperate with “relevant international organizations to adopt legislation to facilitate prosecution of suspected pirates, as well [...]

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday reported concern regarding recent violent incidents in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, which have left in excess of 40 people dead and hundreds injured. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSIL) visited hospitals in the area to confirm the number of deceased [...]