A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Friday designed to alleviate crowded conditions in California's Los Angeles County jail system . The order from US District Judge Dean D. Pregerson came in response to a suit by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) seeking to remedy "almost unspeakable conditions" in county jails, where up [...]

The US Supreme Court agreed to hear four cases Friday, including one where the Court will decide whether the parents of an autistic child must hire a lawyer or whether they can represent themselves in an accommodation lawsuit against a school district. In Winkelman v. Parma City School District, the boy's parents are appealing a [...]

Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act of 2005, Parliament of India, taking effect October 27, 2006 . Read the full text of the act . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Canadian officials are considering whether to deport an American sex offender who reached a plea agreement with a US judge allowing him to serve probation in Canada . Malcolm Watson, a former teacher at a private school in Buffalo, was released on bail Friday a day after he was arrested at the US-Canada border on [...]

Tara Magner : "The Secure Fence Act has generated a good deal of controversy this election season. First, its price tag is unknown, but is estimated to fall between $2 billion and $9 billion. Second, it is unlikely to solve the problem of unlawful entry and visa overstays. A decade of "enforcement only" policies has [...]

The British judge presiding over the trial of 13 men arrested and charged in connection with the alleged terror plot to blow up US-bound jetliners over the Atlantic urged prosecutors and defense lawyers Friday to avoid any further delays in the case, which is already not expected to begin before 2008 . Justice David Calvert-Smith [...]

A UN human rights investigator expressed concern Friday that the US Military Commissions Act of 2006 (MCA) would lead to lower worldwide standards regarding interrogation techniques and trial procedures for noncitizen detainees. Martin Scheinin , special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, said in a statement [...]

Chilean federal judge Alejandro Solis ordered the arrest of former dictator Augusto Pinochet Friday on charges in connection with 36 cases of kidnapping, 23 cases of torture and a single case of homicide at the Villa Grimaldi prison , an infamous political detention center allegedly operated by Pinochet's secret police between 1974 and 1977 in [...]

A new domestic violence law took effect in India Friday, with some women's rights advocates welcoming it and others warning that the landmark legislation would not be adequately enforced. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 prohibits marital rape and allows women to obtain protection and maintenance orders against husbands and partners who [...]

Four Chinese judges are facing trials for accepting bribes to fix the outcomes of cases in the province of Anhui . The charges coincide with statements by Chinese President Hu Jintao – himself a native of Anhui – at an anti-corruption conference in which he claimed that fighting bribery and other scandals is a top [...]