The Supreme Court of Missouri ruled Tuesday that four physicians associations do not have standing to challenge the constitutionality of a state law that legalizes midwifery . The Missouri legislature passed the provision last year as part of a larger health insurance reform act . The Missouri State Medical Association, the Missouri Association of Osteopathic [...]

Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai , presidential candidate of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) , Wednesday called for the United Nations and African leaders to lead a settlement process aimed at ending the ongoing violent political crisis in Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai's comments came at a press conference held during a temporary departure from the Dutch [...]

Kennedy v. Louisiana, US Supreme Court, June 25, 2008 . Read the full text of the opinion . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker, US Supreme Court, June 25, 2008 . Read the full text of the opinion . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

A Polish appellate court Tuesday overturned the conviction of one riot police officer found guilty for the shooting deaths of nine coal miners during a 1981 protest, but affirmed the convictions of 14 other officers convicted in relation to the same incident. The coal miners were protesting the imposition of martial law and the jailing [...]

The US Supreme Court handed down four decisions Wednesday, including Exxon v. Baker , in which the Court ruled 5-3 to reduce a punitive damages award to be paid by Exxon Mobil for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill from $2.5 billion to $500 million. Exxon Mobil and its shipping subsidiary had been ordered to [...]

The Italian Senate , the upper house of the country's parliament, approved public safety legislation Wednesday containing provisions to suspend older trials for nonviolent crimes, including corruption proceedings against Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi . Berlusconi told the Senate in a letter last week that the measures would allow the judiciary to consider more important [...]

Russian police have committed serious rights abuses against suspected rebel militants from Ingushetia , including abductions, torture, and killings, according to a Wednesday report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) . HRW alleged that Russia has failed to hold government agents accountable for abuses and compared Russian tactics against suspected rebels to those used during both [...]

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) Tuesday announced plans to complete operations a year early and to significantly reduced its budget.  Earlier this year the court announced plans to operate until 2011, but has been unable to raise the funds necessary to support the plan. The court said that it would still be able to [...]

UK Justice Secretary Jack Straw Tuesday held emergency meetings with members of Parliament to discuss possible legislation that would expressly allow anonymous witnesses to testify at some trials.  The recently adopted judicial practice was challenged last week by a Law Lords ruling  that it may deny defendants' right to meaningfully challenge the witnesses against them. The judges [...]