In Other News … News
In Other News …

The legal world is a busy place. Here are a few stories we didn’t get to this week that we thought you might be interested in.

The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit [official website] agreed Monday to an en banc review of the most recent version of the Trump administration’s travel ban [text]. Oral arguments are scheduled for December 8 in the appeal from a district court decision [text, PDF] blocking the ban before it went into effect.

The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights [advocacy website] on Wednesday filed two new criminal complaints [press release, in German] with the German Federal Public Prosecutor on behalf of 13 Syrian men and women alleging torture and crimes against humanity by the Syrian military and government.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons [official website] presented a report [text] to the UN Security Council Tuesday finding that the so-called Islamic State was responsible for a sulfur mustard mortar attack in Umm Hawsh, and the Syrian Arab Republic was responsible for an air raid involving the sarin chemical in Khan Shaykum, Syria.

The UN General Assembly and Security Council held a vote [press release, PDF] Thursday to fill vacant seats on the International Court of Justice [official website]. The new member to the court is Judge Nawaf Salam from Lebanon, while Judges Ronny Abraham of France, Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf of Somalia, and Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade of Brazil [official profiles] will continue to serve on the court. A fifth seat remains open after no candidate gained a majority vote.

This roundup was prepared by JURIST Assistant Editors Christopher Anderson and Christopher Hsu.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Congress passes Sedition Act

On July 14, 1798, Congress passed the Sedition Act, which declared that any treasonable activity, including the publication of "any false, scandalous and malicious writing," was a high misdemeanor, punishable by fine and imprisonment. Learn more about the Sedition Act from the National Archives and Records Administration.

Bastille Day in France

On July 14, 1789, ordinary citizens of France stormed the Bastille prison and freed prisoners held there. The event has come to symbolize the opening salvo in the French Revolution. One year later, France celebrated the establishment of a short-lived constitutional monarchy in Fête de la Fédération. The anniversary, Bastille Day, is celebrated today as a major French national holiday. Learn more about Bastille Day from the Government of France.