Leading Wednesday's corporations and securities law news, the SEC has announced that its five-member panel will vote again on a controversial rule requiring mutual funds to be overseen by independent chairmen. The announcement comes after a federal appeals court ruled that the SEC had not adequately investigated the cost of implementing the plan. The panel [...]
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Leading Wednesday's states brief, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has upheld the state's slot-machine gambling law . While rejecting some parts of the law, the court found that the process used by the legislature to enact the law was constitutional. Attorneys argued over constitutional provisions that say a bill cannot be amended to change its original [...]
A Pentagon report released Wednesday detailed troubling relgious insensitivity at the US Air Force Academy , but found no overt acts of religious discrimination. The Department of Defense investigated the constitutionality of certain religious practices and reports of religious intolerance at the elite Colorado Springs institution. The report nonetheless calls for more "operational guidance" as [...]
The Peruvian government on Wednesday condemned a Peru Supreme Court decision to drop allegations that former President Alberto Fujimori used forged signatures to register for the 2000 elections. The Peruvian Congress has a list of charges against Fujimori, and is seeking to extradite him from Japan . The government called the dismissal "scandalous" and "unfortunate". [...]
Leading Wednesday's international brief, the South African National Assembly has approved the highly controversial national Children's Bill , nine years after its first introduction. The bill, which will be presented to the National Council of Provinces for approval next before being submitted to President Thabo Mbeki, contains numerous changes widely hailed as beneficial, such as [...]
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked his government's Justice Minister Wednesday to set aside verdicts by the much-criticized state security courts . Human rights groups have said the courts, set up under Yasser Arafat in 1995, were too quick, violated due process and handed down too severe sentences, including the death penalty. The move is part [...]
The Spanish Senate voted 131-119 Wednesday against a bill that would legalize gay marriage. The bill had already passed the lower house of parliament , but faced fierce opposition from the Catholic Church and conservative groups . The bill is still likely to pass , however, since it now returns to the lower house for [...]
The US House of Representatives Wedneday afternoon approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would make it a crime to desecrate the American flag by a vote of 286-130 , eight more votes then necessary for the two-thirds required. The measure will now go to the Senate, where many believe it has a strong chance of [...]
Fearing damage to historic sites, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has called for action against illegal digs and looting in Iraq. Director-general Koichiro Matsuura said archeological sites as well as museums are being damaged by thefts of items. He also expressed concern that construction of new military bases might ruin ancient [...]
After meeting with lawyers from both sides earlier today , US District Judge Karon Bowdre ordered a juror replaced in the fraud trial of former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy , citing health reasons that interrupted deliberations. The replacement and Bowdre's instruction to the jury that they must start their deliberations all over again will further [...]
