[JURIST] A contentious draft Iraqi oil law [JURIST news archive] approved Tuesday by Iraq's cabinet stalled on its way to parliament [JURIST report] Wednesday after Sunni and Kurd politicians and Shiite lawmakers associated with radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr objected to its terms and the process of pushing it forward for legislative approval. Critics pointed out that the draft had been approved by only 24 of 37 cabinet members, with Sunnis and Sadrists boycotting. Kurdish leaders meanwhile insisted they had not seen the latest draft but would oppose it if it made changes to a previously negotiated agreement on oil regulation and revenue sharing. AP has more.

Negotiations over the legislation have been a source of tension [JURIST report] in Iraq for months as Kurds are adamant about retaining control of Iraq's oil resources [Global Policy backgrounder] in the northern regions. Other government leaders have pushed for giving the central Iraqi government control over oil revenues and approval rights for any contracts with other countries or international companies to pump oil, since oil revenues are the main source of income for Iraq.

[JURIST] A Malaysian judge Wednesday rejected a bid by former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim [official website] to sue former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad [BBC profile] for defamation in connection with renewed allegations that Anwar is a homosexual. Mahathir dismissed Anwar from office in 1998 in the midst of disagreements over financial policy and had him charged with corruption and sodomy in a case that became an international cause celebre. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison but was released in 2004 after an appeals court overturned the sodomy conviction [JURIST report].

Anwar initially sued Mahathir for defamation in 1999 but the case was rejected at the time as "unsustainable"; Anwar brought it again in 2006 after Mahathir allegedly suggested at a human rights conference that Anwar was unfit for office because of his supposed homosexuality and later refused to apologize and pay damages to Anwar. In a statement [text] on his website Wednesday Anwar said that the ruling against him was a "gross injustice to me and my family and friends. It is also a reflection of the state of justice in Malaysia... [and] is utterly devoid of any legal merit." He has
instructed his lawyers to file an immediate appeal. AP has more.

[JURIST] In his first statement to the UK House of Commons Tuesday, new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown [JURIST news archive] laid out a series of proposed constitutional reforms [statement; recorded video] he said were designed to make British government more accountable to the people. The changes, yet to be set out in formal legislation, include giving members of parliament the final say on declaring war and the ratification of international treaties, allowing US-style confirmation hearings for certain public officials, consulting with the public and other political parties on a possible "British Bill of Rights and Duties" or a written constitution, moving election days to weekends and creating a national security council. Some of the reforms address complaints made over Britain's commitment of troops to the Iraq war; others continue the governing Labour Party's turn toward US-style political and administrative institutions. All appear to be in response to criticisms over Labor's apparent centralization of power. BBC News has more. The Scotsman has additional coverage.

Brown, the long-time Chancellor of the Exchequer under former PM Tony Blair [JURIST news archive], took over from Blair late last month when Blair stepped down after ten years in office.