Mexican lawmakers Tuesday approved a law permitting Mexicans living abroad to vote by mail in next July's presidential election. The lower house of Congress passed the measure 455 to 6, with 6 abstentions. The measure has already been passed by the Mexican Senate and will be presented to President Vincente Fox for signing, which he [...]

Bill C-38, An Act respecting certain aspects of legal capacity for marriage for civil purposes, passed by Canada's House of Commons on June 28, 2005 . Excerpt: WHEREAS the Parliament of Canada is committed to upholding the Constitution of Canada, and section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees that every individual [...]

Lee v. Department of Justice, et al., United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, June 28, 2005 . Excerpt: We hold that the District Court did not abuse its discretion in holding four of the five journalists in contempt and therefore affirm as to four of the Appellants. Because there was [...]

Energy Policy Act of 2005, passed by the United States Senate on June 28, 2005 . Read the full text of the bill here. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chasehere.

In a Tuesday evening sitting Canada's House of Commons has passed a bill that will legalize same-sex marriage across Canada. The legislation, presented by the minority Liberty Party government as a non-partisan "free vote" for MPs other than Cabinet ministers, was approved 158-133. Most members of the opposition Conservative Party voted against the measure, with [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Tuesday rejected a lawsuit against the Japanese government filed by 15 Asian women who claim Japanese soldiers forced them to act as "comfort women" , or sex slaves, during World War II. The court said it is not allowed to hear the case because the [...]

In a primetime TV address to the nation from Fort Bragg, NC, marking the one-year anniversary of the return of local sovereignty to Iraqi hands President Bush has focused primarily on security-related issues relating to the ongoing American military presence in the country, but also called on Iraqis to write a "good constitution" drawing together [...]

The Virginia co-ordinator of Ralph Nader's 2004 presidential campaign pleaded guilty to charges of election fraud on Tuesday. James Polk will serve 30 days of house detention and pay a $2500 fine for attempting to put Nader on the Virginia ballot by illegally certifying petitions. Nader's name was ultimately left off the state's ballot. AP [...]

Two Rwandan businessmen were found guilty by a Brussels court Tuesday on 81 charges of murder and war crimes related to the country's 1994 genocide during which 800,000 people were killed. Half-brothers Samuel Ndashyikirwa and Etienne Nzabonimana, who have repeatedly denied any involvement in the genocide, were accused of giving weapons, vehicles and beer to [...]

Leading Tuesday's corporations and securities law news,the UK's Financial Services Authority has fined Citigroup $25 million for flooding the market with bonds. Though the transaction was not illegal, it was against standard practice for European bond trading. In a press release, the FSA said that the transaction caused a sharp drop in bond prices. Reuters [...]