Shirin Ebadi , a human-rights lawyer who won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, spoke out Monday against the introduction of special Islamic tribunals in Canada. A Muslim group in Ontario proposed setting up the tribunals to settle family disputes among members of the Islamic community there. Ebadi complained that traditional Muslim law is open to [...]

The UN East Asia and Pacific Regional Consultation Against Violence began in Bangkok Tuesday with a call for a ban on corporal punishment of children. The conference is part of the UN Secretary General's study on violence against children . Paulo Pinheiro, an independent expert speaking for the study, called the problem "too common, and [...]

The UN war crimes prosecutor for the former Yugoslavia called for the arrest of three men responsible for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of Bosnian Muslims in an address to the UN Security Council Monday. Carla del Ponte outlined the successes of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to date, but emphasized the need [...]

California v. Jackson, verdict acquitting Jackson of all charges against him, June 13, 2005. Read the full text of the verdict here . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

The indictment filed against former Defense Department employee Lawrence Franklin for passing classified government information was unsealed Monday. The specific charges allege Franklin conspired to share national defense and other material with unauthorized persons, including two unnamed American Israel Public Affairs Committee employees. Franklin was arrested in May and pleaded not guilty to the charges [...]

Leading Monday's corporations and securities law news, embattled Morgan Stanley CEO Philip Purcell , has announced his retirement. Purcell has recently faced criticism from shareholders and former company executives for Morgan Stanley’s financial and legal troubles. His retirement follows a string of high-profile departures from the company. Read the Morgan Stanley press release. Bloomberg has [...]

According to a list obtained by the Associated Press and reported Monday, the Iraqi Special Tribunal will try former dictator Saddam Hussein on 14 charges. The list includes the seven preliminary charges outlined in his 2004 arraignment, and additional charges including the mortar bombardment of Kirkuk, the 1982 massacre in Dujail , and the 1991 [...]

Leading Monday's states brief, the United States Supreme Court today ordered a federal appeals court to reconsider whether the state of Missouri can charge the disabled $2 for portable disabled parking placards. The placards allow disabled persons to park in reserved spaces. A class action lawsuit alleged that the fee violated federal law banning discrimination [...]

Pop star Michael Jackson has been acquitted of all charges against him. He had been charged with 10 counts in connection with events that allegedly took place with a 13-year-old boy two years ago. He was acquitted of four counts of lewd conduct with a child younger than 14; one count of attempted lewd conduct; [...]

Leading Monday's international brief, Sudan's domestic war crimes tribunal is scheduled to hold its first hearings Tuesday in the capital city of Khartoum, according to Sudanese Justice Minister Ali Mohammed Yassin. Yassin said that over 160 individuals indicted on various war crimes and crimes against humanity that allegedly occurred in the Darfur region of Sudan [...]