Supporting Human Rights: The US Record 2004-2005, US Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, March 28, 2005. Excerpt: Unlike the 196 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Supporting Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2004-2005 highlights US efforts to promote human rights and democracy in only 98 countries and entities — [...]

Draft Bhutan Constitution, Constitution Drafting Committee, March 26, 2005 . Read the full text of the proposed constitution here. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

A new interim report on the UN Oil-for-Food Program for Iraq is set to be released Tuesday, and officials within the Bush administration believe that the conflict-of-interest findings might place US Secretary-General Kofi Annan's job in jeopardy. Tuesday's report is expected to address whether the secretary-general unduly influenced the contract application process for his son [...]

The UN special mission to Burundi has recommended that the nation create a non-judicial truth commission and special prosecuting chamber within its court system in order to deal with perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The recommendations, filed in a report forwarded to the Security Council by Secretary-General Kofi Annan , gained [...]

The US State Department Monday released its third annual report on American efforts to support and promote human rights around the world. In Supporting Human Rights: The US Record 2004-2005 , the US said it will make respect for human rights the test for its bilateral relations around the world, although it also indicated it [...]

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in a case examining the rights of foreigners in death penalty cases. In Medellin v. Dretke , a Mexican citizen was convicted of murder in a Texas state court and sentenced to death. In denying a petition for writ of habeas corpus, the Fifth Circuit held that [...]

Leading Monday's corporations and securities law news, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the SEC has subpoenaed twelve executives at American International Group Inc. (AIG) . The subpoenas relate to several probes into questionable transactions at the insurance giant which led to an improper bolstering of its financial standing. The newspaper also reported AIG [...]

Cambodian officials will appeal to the UN on Monday for more than $70 million needed to establish a tribunal to prosecute remaining members of the Khmer Rouge regime , responsible for the deaths of two million Cambodians from 1975-1979. Japan has already pledged half the court's budget, and $10 million will come from Australia, France, [...]

The Supreme Court today declined to hear Troy Publishing v. Norton (docket 04-979), letting stand a ruling that appears to limit Constitutional protection of the press. Without comment, the Court denied the appeal of a 2004 ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court holding that neither the state nor the Federal Constitution protected the so-called "neutral [...]

The US Supreme Court Monday agreed to hear Brown v . Sanders (docket 04-980), in which it will rule on the application of the "harmless error" doctrine to death penalty cases. The case concerns California's death penalty law, Cal. Penal Code 190.2 , under which the accused is ineligible for capital punishment unless "special circumstances" [...]