Christina Abraham "In a feat of apologetic acrobatics, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rendered a decision in Khatib v. County of Orange affirming a district court's dismissal of a complaint under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). The decision uses faulty legal reasoning to arrive at a conclusion that dangerously undermines [...]

Germany's constitutional court Saturday refused to issue a temporary injunction against the German government's €22.4 billion ($28.5 billion) contribution to a bailout package for Greece, which has lately been gripped by a critical debt crisis . The suit, brought by four lawyers and a businessman, claimed that the contribution would violate Germany's constitutional law. The [...]

Finnish telecommunications company Nokia announced Friday that it has filed a complaint in the US District Court in the Western District for Wisconsin alleging that Apple iPad and iPhone 3G products infringe five Nokia patents. The complaint claims that patents for enhanced speech and data transmission, as well as innovations in antenna configurations, are among [...]

The Canadian Supreme Court ruled Friday that journalists do not have an automatic right to shield their sources and that decisions on who is entitled to remain anonymous will be made on a case by case basis. The ruling upholds an order requiring a former National Post reporter to turn over evidence to police in [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday rejected an attempt to remove the phrase "so help me God" from the presidential oath. The challenge was brought by atheist Michael Newdow and several other groups, who claimed the phrase violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment . Newdow had [...]

The Turkish Grand National Assembly on Friday approved a series of constitutional amendments which had been proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) . Changes in the reform package include an overhaul of the Constitutional Court, changes to the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) , and new limitations on the power [...]

The Lithuanian Supreme Administration Court ruled Friday that the nation's first gay pride parade may proceed as scheduled, overturning a lower court's decision to ban the parade. The lower court imposed the ban last week citing safety concerns for the participants due to fear of violent protesters. The appeals court held that the government must [...]

Kenyan Attorney General Amos Wako on Thursday published the country's draft constitution , which proposes more balance of power in the government. President Mwai Kibaki , Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka have all supported the proposed constitution and have urged citizens to approve it in a public referendum to be held [...]

A UN official on Thursday urged the US and Canada to respect international convention and release Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr into Canadian custody. UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy said that releasing Khadr, a Canadian citizen who has been held at Guantanamo Bay since his 2002 capture by US forces [...]

A Virginia military jury on Thursday acquitted US Navy SEAL Matthew McCabe on charges of assaulting a high-profile Iraqi detainee. Petty Officer 2nd Class McCabe was accused of punching Ahmed Hashim Abed, implicated in the killing of four American contractors in Fallujah in 2004. McCabe was charged with assault, dereliction of duty, and lying to [...]