The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled Thursday that tobacco giant Philip Morris Inc. cannot avoid liability in a wrongful death lawsuit by claiming that smokers should know that cigarettes are dangerous. Brenda Haglund had sued the tobacco company for the wrongful death of her husband. The court said that her lawsuit could proceed because the [...]

The US Supreme Court on Thursday reheard oral arguments on whether police must continue to knock and announce themselves before entering a person’s home to seize evidence with a warrant in order for the seizure to be constitutional under the Fourth Amendment ban on unreasonable search and seizure. In Hudson v. Michigan , Booker Hudson [...]

A disciplinary panel for two Egyptian judges who complained of alleged fraud in last year’s parliamentary elections Thursday reprimanded pro-reform judge Hisham Bastawisi but cleared Mahmoud Mekki of whistleblowing allegations. The rulings came amid clashes between riot police and supporters of the judges which began last week; protesters have also been rallying in Cairo to [...]

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori will be freed on bail as he fights extradition to Peru on corruption and human rights charges . A panel of the Supreme Court of Chile voted 4-1 Thursday to free Fujimori, who must remain in Chile pending a decision on Peru's extradition request . Fujimori was arrested in Chile [...]

Government Access to Phone Calling Activity and Related Records: Legal Authorities, Congressional Research Service, May 17, 2006 . Read the full text of the report .

The Serbian Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the sentences of four paramilitary group members convicted of war crimes, according to reports from state-run television. The members of the Serbian Avengers were convicted last year of abducting, torturing and murdering 16 Muslims riding in a bus near Serbia's border with Bosnia in 1992. Milan Lukic , [...]

The US Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted to send a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage to the Senate floor for consideration. The amendment , sponsored by Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO) and co-sponsored by 29 others, defines marriage as "the union of a man and a woman." Committee members approved the amendment 10-8, voting [...]

Jailed Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nour Thursday lost his appeal for a retrial following his December conviction for forging signatures on documents registering his Al-Ghad Party for last year's presidential election {JURIST news archive]. Nour , who finished a distant second to President Hosni Mubarak last year in the election that observers said was marred [...]

In an historic proclamation approved Thursday, Nepal's reinstated parliament stripped all the privileges and powers of King Gyanendra , who gave up direct rule of the country after 19-days of mass protests in April. The proclamation effectively makes Nepal's 237-year old monarchy ceremonial and recognizes the Nepali people as the source of the state power [...]

The Oregon Court of Appeals has vacated a $150 million jury verdict against cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris and remanded the case for a new trial to determine punitive damages. Philip Morris appealed a judgment by Multnomah County Circuit Judge Roosevelt Robinson, who found the 2002 jury award "grossly excessive" and reduced it to $100 million. [...]