South Africa establishes new apartheid prosecution policy News
South Africa establishes new apartheid prosecution policy

[JURIST] South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) [official website] has established a policy to prosecute political crimes committed during apartheid in South Africa [UN backgrounder] by individuals who were denied amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) [official website]. The new policy indicates that the National Director of Public Prosecution [NPA backgrounder] will make decisions on whether to prosecute, and that the NPA's Priority Crimes Litigation Unit will manage the investigations and institute any resulting prosecutions. According to the policy, prosecutions could be prompted by victim complaints, continuing investigations into cases arising from TRC hearings, or referrals by the police or the National Intelligence Agency [official website]. Additionally, perpetrators bringing information to the NPA are able to become witnesses for the state. The deputy director of public prosecutions, Gerhard Nel, said it is impossible to predict how many prosecutions will result from the policy. SAPA has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

US suffragists formed Equal Rights Party, named Presidential candidate

On September 20, 1884, a group of American suffragists formed the Equal Rights Party in San Francisco, dedicated to "equal and exact justice to every class of our citizens, without distinction of color, sex, or nationality" and in support of the proposition that "the laws of the several states be so amended that women will be recognized as voters, and their property-rights made equal with that of the male population, to the end that they may become self-supporting - rather than a dependent class." Read the full text of the first platform of the Equal Rights Party. The party immediately nominated Mrs. Belva Lockwood for US President and Marietta Snow for Vice-President. Grover Cleveland won that election, but Lockwood was included in a number of presidential primaries and is recorded to have won some 4149 votes from the male voters of the time.

Catholic Church tries Galileo for heresy

On September 20, 1633, the Roman Catholic Church tried Galileo Galilei on charges of heresy. Galileo was brought before the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith for his assertion that the Earth orbits the Sun. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his life under house arrest. Read documents from the trial of Galileo.

Suffragists formed Equal Rights Party, named Presidential candidate

On September 20, 1884, a group of suffragists formed the Equal Rights Party in San Francisco, dedicated to "equal and exact justice to every class of our citizens, without distinction of color, sex, or nationality" and in support of the proposition that "the laws of the several states be so amended that women will be recognized as voters, and their property-rights made equal with that of the male population, to the end that they may become self-supporting - rather than a dependent class."
Read the full text of the first platform of the Equal Rights Party.

The party immediately nominated Mrs. Belva Lockwood for US President and Marietta Snow for Vice-President. Grover Cleveland won that election, but Lockwood was included in a number of presidential primaries, and is recorded to have won some 4149 votes from the male voters of the time.