Putin puts Russian prisons under Justice Ministry in rights reform News
Putin puts Russian prisons under Justice Ministry in rights reform

[JURIST] Russian President Vladimir Putin [official website] Wednesday signed a decree [press release] handing control of the country's prisons over to the Russian Ministry of Justice [official website, in Russian]. The move comes in response to pressure from the Council of Europe [official website], which made such prison reforms a condition of Russian membership [COE membership resolution] in the group in 1996. The country's security services [FSB Wikipedia backgrounder; official website, in Russian] previously ran the prisons. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Charles Manson sentenced to death

On April 19, 1971, Charles Manson was sentenced to death for ordering the murders of Sharon Tate and others. The sentence was then commuted to life after the Supreme Court of California overturned the death penalty in 1972. Learn more about the trial of Charles Manson from the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law.

The Beatles signed 10-year partnership

On April 19, 1967, John, Paul, George and Ringo - aka "The Beatles" - signed a partnership deed agreeing that the group would continue for a (further) period of ten years. When The Beatles split up prematurely in 1970, Paul applied to have the partnership terminated and a receiver appointed.

Read a legal analysis of Paul McCartney’s 1970 lawsuit against John, George and Ringo.

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