The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) acquitted two former Serbian secret police officials Thursday for their involvement in war crimes during the Bosnian Civil War . The court found that the prosecution failed to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused, Jovica Stanisic , a close ally of late Serbian president [...]

The Connecticut Senate approved legislation Thursday that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses regardless of documentation status. If signed by Governor Dannel Malloy , the bill would allow those immigrants without proper documents from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services office the ability to obtain a driver’s license for the purpose of highway [...]

UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women Rashida Manjoo on Thursday urged the government of Bangladesh to address the prevalent acts of violence against women occurring in the country. Manjoo noted that while the most pervasive form of violence against women in the country is domestic violence, a number of women have also been victims [...]

Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Fatou Bensouda said Thursday that Kenya must prove its ability to handle the case of President Uhuru Kenyatta before the ICC will drop the case. Kenyatta and his deputy president William Ruto are charged with crimes against humanity for their alleged involvement in inciting the violence that [...]

The UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Gabriela Knaul urged world governments Thursday to guarantee the right to legal aid at the highest level possible and to consider enacting specific legislation to establish a comprehensive legal aid system that is accessible, effective, sustainable and credible. Knaul discussed these recommendations in a [...]

The Wisconsin Court of Appeals for the Fourth District ruled Thursday that Wisconsin Act 23 , a law requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls, is constitutional. The ruling reverses Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess’s March 2012 decision, which held that the law’s photo ID requirement would disenfranchise voters who lack the [...]

Then UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Christof Heyns on Thursday urged the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to impose a moratorium on lethal autonomous robotics (LAR’s), also known as “killer robots.” A key concern to Heyns is whether future weapons systems will be allowed to make the decision to kill on [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled Wednesday that Florida Governor Rick Scott cannot require all state employees to take random drug tests. Executive Order 11-58 , issued in March 2011, would subject all state employees to drug testing, regardless of whether they were suspected of drug use. The decision by the [...]

London-based Public Interest Lawyers on Wednesday accused the UK military of holding at least eight men without charge at the UK temporary holding facility in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. Their clients have allegedly been held for over eight months without charge and without access to lawyers in what could be a breach of international law. Applications [...]

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) called Wednesday for the participation of Libyan women in the Constitution Drafting Assembly. The UNSMIL noted that the preparation and drafting of the constitution is a significant part of Libya’s democratic transition, and the representation and participation of women throughout the process will greatly contribute to the growth [...]