The Balkan region, once plagued by a reputation for dangerous crime and political instability, is now one of the safest regions in Europe, according to a UN study released Thursday. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) found that violent crimes, such as rape, assault and homicide, as well as property crimes, such [...]

Villas at Parkside Partners v. City of Farmers Branch, US District Court for the Northern District of Texas, May 28, 2008 . Read the full text of the opinion . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Memorandum ordering New York state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages legal performed outside of New York, New York Governor's Office May 14, 2008. Read the full text of the memorandum . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued five decisions Thursday finding Russia responsible for the disappearance of a dozen people during Russian armed raids in Chechnya in 2002 and 2003. Families of the victims, all of whom are presumed dead, had raised claims under the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental [...]

The court-martial of a US Marine intelligence officer charged in connection with the November 2005 killings of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha began Thursday at Camp Pendleton, California . US Marine Corps 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson is charged with multiple violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) , including making a false official [...]

An Afghan detainee at Guantanamo Bay Wednesday moved to have all charges against him dismissed, alleging that he has been tortured in US custody. In a motion filed by his military defense lawyer, Mohammed Jawad said that he has been subjected to abusive treatment, including the so-called "frequent-flier program," in which certain inmates are moved [...]

A judge in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled Wednesday that a Farmers Branch, Texas ordinance that would bar landlords from renting apartments to most illegal immigrants is unconstitutional. Ordinance 2903 requires apartment renters to show proof of US residency and penalizes landlords who rent to illegal immigrants . Judge [...]

New York Governor David Paterson has ordered all state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages from other states as legal marriages for purposes of New York law. The instructions highlighted in Thursday media reports came in a May 14 memo circulated by the governor's legal counsel David Nocenti , which directed state agencies to afford "full [...]

A Chinese woman who is a permanent resident of New Orleans pleaded guilty Wednesday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana to charges of aiding and abetting espionage by passing national defense information to Chinese agents. Yu Xin Kang could face 10 years in prison for acting as an intermediary between [...]

The co-chair of Pakistan's governing Pakistan People's Party (PPP) pleaded for calm Thursday with members of the nation's vocal lawyers' movement, cautioning that "hidden forces" could seize on any perceived unrest to reimpose martial law and destroy democracy in Pakistan. Speaking to members of the People's Lawyers Forum (PLF), Asif Ali Zardari reiterated his support [...]