The High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change appointed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan filed a report Wednesday containing over 100 suggestions for improving the role of the UN in preventing and managing global conflicts. Significantly, the report affirmed the right of nations to practice self-defence, including pre-emptive self-defense when an attack is imminent. [...]

Bank of America announced Thursday that it has asked the US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina to dismiss a lawsuit filed against it by insolvent Italian dairy company Parmalat. Enrico Bondi, who was appointed by the Italian government to administer the company under bankruptcy protection, filed the suit in October seeking [...]

Sweden's Supreme Court Thursday reinstated the life sentence of the man convicted of murdering Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh in a Stockholm department store last year. Mijailo Mijailovic received the life sentence in March, but an appeals court later overturned the sentence, saying that Mijailovic should be transferred to a psychiatric facility instead. The Supreme [...]

US District Judge Joyce Hens Green heard arguments Wednesday on whether Guantanamo Bay detainees have the right to challenge their detention in federal court. Lawyers for the government told Judge Green that prisoners deemed "enemy combatants" have no constitutional right to be heard in court. Lawyers for the detainees argued that Judge Green should declare [...]

Legal maneuvers in the Ukraine electoral crisis multiplied late Wednesday and Thursday as the country awaited the Supreme Court's ruling over the opposition's appeal on electoral fraud in the recent Presidential poll, which opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko has said he expects later today. Wednesday's parliamentary vote of no-confidence in the government first appeared to put [...]

Here's a run-down of law-related events, expected developments and live webcasts on JURIST's docket for Thursday, December 2. The US House and Senate are in recess. The US House will reconvene on Monday, December 6 at 2 PM. The US Senate will reconvene on Tuesday, December 7 at 9:30 AM. The trial of Slobodan Milosevic [...]

Dan Tokaji, Moritz College of Law, Ohio State University: "There's been continuing attention devoted to the Ohio recount and contest efforts in recent days. The latest developments include the Kerry campaign's reported intent formally to join the recount litigation, and Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.'s attempt to call attention to alleged irregularities. But the most significant [...]

Former New England Bush campaign chairman James Tobin was indicted Wednesday on charges of conspiring to commit telephone harassment and aiding and abetting the jamming of Democrats' get-out-the-vote phone lines on Election Day 2002. Tobin resigned as Bush regional campaign chairman two weeks before the November 2, 2004 vote when the Democrats first accused him [...]

Governor Rick Perry of Texas granted a stay of execution to Frances Newton Wednesday only two hours before Newton was scheduled to die by lethal injection. Gov. Perry said in a statement that he granted the stay to allow for the retesting of gunpowder residue found on Newton's skirt using technology that was not available [...]

Joint Statement following Round Table Talks on Settlement of Political Crisis in Ukraine. Ukraine Presidency, December 1, 2004. Text: At their second session in Kyiv on December 1, 2004, the Parties in the round table meeting considered in detail development of the political situation in Ukraine and agreed on the following: 1. The Parties reaffirm [...]