US military panels reviewing the detention of 550 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay may use evidence obtained by torture in deciding whether the detainees are enemy combatants, the US government has said. Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Brian Boyle said the practice was allowed during a Thursday hearing at a district court reviewing the detention of [...]

Still wracked by an electoral crisis, the Ukrainian parliament Friday passed a resolution calling on outgoing President Leonid Kuchma to withdraw Ukraine's 1600-strong contingent of troops from Iraq. The resolution was supported by both pro-government and pro-opposition deputies. Under domestic political pressure other East European states have recently indicated a similar intent to withdraw forces [...]

Here's a run-down of law-related events, expected developments and live webcasts on JURIST's docket for Friday, December 3. 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 Fatmir Limaj [...]

United States v. Moussaoui, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Judge Leonie M. Brinkema, December 2, 2004 . Read the full text of the ruling here . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Military judge Col. Stephen Henley Thursday denied a motion by lawyers representing Pfc. Lynndie England to suppress two written statements made by England describing the physical abuse and sexual degradation of detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Henley did throw out a third statement, however. CNN has more. JURIST's Paper Chase has ongoing [...]

US District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema Thursday denied a US government motion to set a trial date in its case against Zacarias Moussaoui. Brinkema stated in her decision that her original order entered on November 5, 2003 staying the case will remain in effect. Moussaoui, a French citizen, is charged with conspiring with al-Qaida terrorists [...]

Graham v. DaimlerChrysler Corporation; Tipton-Wittingham v. Los Angeles, Supreme Court of California, Justice Carlos R. Moreno, December 2, 2004 . Read the full text of the Graham opinion here and the full text of its companion opinion Tipton-Wittingham here. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

AP is reporting that United States ambassador to the UN John Danforth has resigned after barely five months service since his swearing-in on July 1, 2004 following predecessor John Negroponte's move to Baghdad as head of the new US embassy there. The position of US UN ambassador is a Cabinet-level post. 8:45 PM ET – [...]

NBC News reports that President Bush has nominated former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik to replace Tom Ridge as Secretary of Homeland Security. MSNBC has more.

In a settlement that resolves the Eastern District of Missouri's largest-ever healthcare fraud case, Gambro Healthcare, the country's third-largest provider of kidney dialysis, has agreed to pay $350.5 million in civil and criminal penalties for overcharging the government, and its subsidiary Gambro Supply Corporation has agreed to permanent disqualification from the Medicare program. According to [...]