The approval of the bill by the NJ Senate marks a shift on the issue of same-sex marriage in the state from last year, when a similar bill was defeated [JURIST report] in the Senate. In November, a lawsuit [JURIST report] was allowed to continue in New Jersey, which seeks declaratory and injunctive relief against the state civil union law as a contravention of both the Fourteenth Amendment [Cornell LII backgrounder] and the New Jersey State Constitution. On Monday, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire [official website] signed legislation [HB 6239] legalizing same-sex marriage [JURIST report], and making Washington the eighth jurisdiction in the US to offer marriage to same-sex couples. Same-sex marriage has previously been legalized in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia [JURIST reports]. The case for same-sex marriage was recently made by JURIST contributor Kimberly Bennett in Judicial Activism and the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage [JURIST op-ed].

In January, the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy websites], among other human rights groups, urged [JURIST report] Tunisia not to extradite al-Mahmoudi because he would be "at a real risk for torture" if returned to Libya. At the time, reports indicated that al-Mahmoudi feared for his safety and claimed to be the sole possessor of Libyan state secrets following Gaddafi's death in October [JURIST reports]. Some commentators have argued that former African leaders accused of human rights violations should be tried in their home countries [JURIST op-ed]. Tunisia ordered al-Mahmoudi's extradition in November, prompting a response from HRW [JURIST reports]. Al-Mamoudi was arrested in Tunisia in September 2011, and his extradition is one of many legal episodes within the ongoing effort by Libyan and international courts to investigate officials [JURIST reports] in the former Gaddafi regime.

Lai fled to Canada with his ex-wife and three children in 1999, when the charges were first brought against him. He was able to obtain refugee protection from the Chinese judiciary system, which allowed the death penalty for his alleged crimes. In 2006, Canada stayed Lai's deportation [JURIST report] based on claims that he would face torture and execution if compelled to return to China. Canada's law prohibits deportations of refugees to countries that use torture as common practice. In July 2011, the Canadian government allowed the deportation of Lai [BBC report] based on assurances from the Chinese government that he would not face capital punishment for his crimes.

In October 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed [JURIST report; veto text, PDF] a bill [text, PDF] that would have effectively overturned Proposition 209 by allowing UC schools to consider demographic factors such as race during the admissions process. The Governor said in his veto message to the Senate that although he agreed with the bill's purpose, it is the role of the Ninth Circuit to decide Proposition 209's boundaries. Governor Brown previously contested [opinion letter, PDF; JURIST report] Proposition 209 in 2009 as California's Attorney General. The CDAA's suit was originally dismissed in December 2010 by the US District Court for the Northern District of California
[official website] in Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action v. Schwarzenneger [text, PDF].

The Fact-Finding Mission, the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, and I myself have all concluded that crimes against humanity are likely to have been committed in Syria. I have encouraged the Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. All Member States must ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished. The Universal Declaration for Human Rights, adopted by this Assembly more than 60 years ago, makes clear that it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law. The people of Syria are asking for the rights that every human being is entitled to.

Pillay, as well as numerous human rights groups, have called for both an end to violence in Syria and ICC prosecution of Syrian officials. On Friday, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) [official website] requested [JURIST report] that Syrian officials suspected of crimes against humanity be tried before the ICC. Pillay has addressed the UN Security Council twice to urge ICC prosecutions [JURIST reports]. Last week the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) [official website] claimed that 11 months of violence in Syria has led to the deaths of hundreds of children [JURIST report]. Earlier this month Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] accused the Syrian army of torturing children [JURIST report]. In January, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon [official profile] demanded [JURIST report] that President Assad end violence against Syrian civilians. In November, HRW declared that Syrian forces were committing crimes against humanity [JURIST report], including torture and unlawful killings of anti-government protesters. JURIST contributing editor Chibli Mallat has argued that a UN Security Council resolution would not have affected meaningful change [JURIST op-ed].

The rule of law in Haiti has been a contentious issue recently. Last week, UN independent expert Michel Forst proclaimed that the rule of law is making significant progress in Haiti [JURIST report]. Forst focused on the establishment of judicial offices and the adoption of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights [text, PDF]. In January, a Haitian judge convicted eight police officers [JURIST report] of shooting and killing at least ten prisoners following the January 2010 earthquake. In December, the UN urged an investigation [JURIST report] into alleged torture and unlawful killings perpetrated by the Haitian National Police (HNP) [official website, in French]. In September, Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] called on Haitian authorities to prosecute Duvalier [JURIST report] for crimes against humanity. In July, a UN rights expert requested that Haiti prosecute Duvalier [JURIST report] and improve its human rights record.

Apple brought a different claim against Samsung last year in the same court alleging that Samsung copied certain features and used similar icons to the iPhone and iPad. In December, District Judge Lucy Koh ruled against Apple and declined to issue a preliminary injunction against Apple in its first claim against Samsung. Apple may still prevail on its claims, but needs to prove both infringement and validity. Apple has also been involved in other lawsuits with Android affiliated companies. In December the US International Trade Commission (USITC) ruled for Apple in its suit against HTC alleging patent infringements. In November the USITC found that Apple did not violate four of HTC's patents. In July USITC ruled that HTC infringed two Apple patents [JURIST reports] relating to the Android operating system.