The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments Wednesday in a challenge to Montana District Court Judge Richard Cebull's March ruling barring the resumed importation of Canadian cattle to the US. US attorney Mark Stern represented the US Department of Agriculture, and urged the court to lift the temporary injunction that bars the [...]

Following up on a story previously reported in JURIST’s Paper Chase, the House Select Committee on Intelligence Wednesday approved several measures porposed by Democrats during a markup session that would limit on governmental power under the Patriot Act . The measures include a provision requiring federal agents to provide greater detail to judges before getting [...]

French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy announced Wednesday that his country will retake full control of its borders within the EU. Sarkozy cited security concerns created after the London bombings last week for the decision to activate the "safety clause" of the 1985 Schengen Treaty . Under the treaty, France and many other EU member nations [...]

Leading Wednesday's corporations and securities news, shareholders of Sprint and Nextel approved Sprint's $36 billion bid to purchase Nextel. In a joint press release, the companies announced that 97 percent of voters approved of the merger. The deal still has several obstacles until it gains final approval, including resolving lawsuits from several affiliates of both [...]

Leading Wednesday's states brief, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled today that citizens cannot sue Dow Chemical Company for the costs of testing for future dioxin-related health problems. The court stated that medical monitoring is not a legal claim in Michigan and the issue is better suited for the Legislature. Over 170 residents along the Tittabawassee [...]

Prosecutors announced Wednesday that they will not appeal a judge's decision to drop perjury charges against former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy , who was previously acquitted of fraud charges . Immediately after the acquittal, government attorneys said they planned to get the perjury charges reinstated. Even with the criminal issues over, Scrushy still faces civil [...]

Despite calls for urgent action by advocacy groups and a UN panel recommendation, UN officials indicated Wednesday that the UN Security Council was moving slowly on the establishment of a tribunal in investigate the East Timor violence of 1999 , waiting to publish the full UN panel report proposing the establishment of a tribunal until [...]

Chief Justice William Rehnquist has been hospitalized with a fever. A US Supreme Court spokeswoman said he was "admitted for observation and tests." AP has more.

Two days after US House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-WI) introduced a bill to make existing provisions of the Patriot Act permanent, Judiciary Committee members Wednesday debated a possible GOP compromise on term lengths for the new provisions. Dan Lungren (R-CA) has proposed renewing two provisions for 10 years instead of permanently: the [...]

Leading Wednesday's international brief, following a statement by military commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama , head of Fiji's military forces, that the army "will have no qualms about removing a government that will bring back chaos," Fiji Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase said that the Fiji government would reconsider provisions of the Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill [...]