A judge for the US District Court for the Central District Court of California dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on judisdictional grounds Tuesday. The suit, filed by Arthur Smelt and Christopher Hammer, two men who were married in California, alleges that DOMA violates the Constitution's Full Faith and Credit Clause, [...]

The US will continue its practice of sending terror detainees to third countries for interrogation with increased oversight to prevent torture, the New York Times reported Monday. The practice, known as rendition , received worldwide attention during the Bush administration when many detainees alleged they had been tortured by the governments of the countries to [...]

Two former Pennsylvania judges on Monday withdrew their guilty pleas on charges of accepting more than $2.6 million in kickbacks for sentencing teenagers to two private juvenile detention facilities in which they had a financial interest. Former Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan pleaded guilty in February to federal [...]

George Joffé : "Despite all the fulmination, protest and anger, the return of Abdelbasset al-Maghrahi to Libya draws a definite line under what has proved to be a very worrisome case — at least for the Scottish justice system. Mr. al-Maghrahi was convicted in a special Scottish court, organised at Camp Zeist — an abandoned [...]

Chinese officials on Tuesday denied a Monday state media report that more than 200 people detained during last month's violent demonstrations in China's Xinjiang province will go on trial this week. State-run China Daily reported Monday that the trials would take place in the Intermediate People's Court in Urumqi, the capital of the primarily Muslim [...]

The Canadian federal government said Tuesday that it will appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada a Federal Court of Appeal decision ordering the government to press for the release and return of Canadian Omar Khadr from the Guantanamo military base in Cuba. The government has filed a motion to stay the lower court ruling [...]

China's National People's Congress (NPC) on Monday considered a draft bill that would allow the People's Armed Police Force (PAPF) to respond to riots. The proposed legislation would also allow the PAPF to respond to terrorist attacks and other social emergencies. A detailed protocol for deploying the PAPF would be determined later by the State [...]

Arriola, et al. v. Fares, et al., Supreme Court of Argentina, August 25, 2009 . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here. Latest commentary available here. JURIST has more on legal issues relating to marijuana.

Humanitarian Law Project, et al. v. US Treasury Department, et al., US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, August 24, 2009 . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here. Latest commentary available here.

Counterterrorism Detention and Interrogation Activities (September 2001-October 2003), US Department of Justice, released August 24, 2009 . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here. Latest commentary available here. JURIST has more on the controversial interrogation techniques authorized by the Bush administration.