A new set of standards for handling detainees suspected of terrorism under US Department of Defense Directive 2310.1 has sparked internal debate within the Bush administration. The standards currently under development use language from the Geneva Conventions to prohibit "cruel," "humiliating" and "degrading" treatment of terror suspects. Advocates say that moving US detention policies closer [...]

JURIST Guest Columnist R. Dobie Langenkamp, Director of the National Energy-Environment Law and Policy Institute at the University of Tulsa School of Law, says that for all the bad publicity surrounding the now-defunct UN Oil-for-Food program, the overall humanitarian effort was a success and the extent of any wrongdoing relatively minor… Detractors of the UN [...]

Australia's proposed anti-terrorism laws were backed Wednesday by four of the country's state and territory leaders, ensuring that Prime Minister John Howard has enough support to introduce the proposals to the federal Parliament. The premiers of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia have given their support to the proposed laws; Queensland Premier Peter [...]

The trial of four former makers of lead paint and pigment, Millennium Holdings, Sherwin-Williams, Atlantic Richfield , and NL Industries , began in Rhode Island Tuesday. State lawyers have alleged that the four companies are responsible for a paint product that contaminated hundreds of thousands of homes and caused 35,000 children to suffer from lead [...]

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Wednesday that he has received specific intelligence of a terrorist attack on the country, and urged lawmakers to strengthen the powers of Australian intelligence agencies. The news prompted Howard to hurriedly introduce an amendment to current counterterrorism laws in the Australian House of Representatives . The amendment would make [...]

Who is Responsible? Phase 1 Report, Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities, Justice John H. Gomery, Commissioner . Read the full text of the report. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Invoking a rare procedure, the US Senate held a closed session Tuesday to discuss continuing controversy over the intelligence on alleged weapons of mass destruction used by President Bush leading up to the Iraq war. The main issue raised was the incomplete second phase of an investigation by Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts into the [...]

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases Tuesday, with newly appointed Chief Justice John Roberts taking an active role in both. Gonzales v. O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao Do Vegetal involves a religious dispute over the use of hallucinogenic tea used by a small Brazil-based church. While the church maintains that the [...]

Members of the Louisiana Legislature have been summoned by Governor Kathleen Blanco for a two-week session to deal with the consequences of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. The special session will start this Sunday and last for two weeks through November 22. Among the 77 topics on the agenda are various tax proposals, borrowing and [...]

In Tuesday's environmental law news, the US Environmental Protection Agency has announced that is will be awarding over $40 million to over 140 American Indian tribes for environmental protection projects. The tribes , mainly in the Pacific Southwest, will use the money to build water and sewage treatment systems, implement air pollution controls, solid waste [...]