The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed last week a lower court’s finding that redistricting efforts by Texas’ Galveston County constituted racial gerrymandering, but raised concerns over whether the legal precedent underlying the decision complied with the legislative intent of the US Voting Rights Act (VRA). Between 1991 and 2021, Galveston County [...]
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The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka declared Tuesday that several former politicians, including former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, breached the public trust and violated Article 12 (1) of the Sri Lankan Constitution in their management of the economy. The bench ruled by a majority of [...]
Minnesota Supreme Court permits Trump to remain on Republican ballot over insurrection allegations
The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld on Wednesday former US President Donald Trump’s placement on the Republican primary ballot for the 2024 presidential race amidst debates over his constitutional eligibility to appear on the ballot. Several Minnesota voters petitioned the court to remove Trump from the ballot based on Section 3 of the US Constitution’s Fourteenth [...]
US federal appeals court allows challenge to Arizona ban on abortions in cases of fetal abnormality
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overruled Monday a federal district court’s decision that doctors lacked standing to challenge an Arizona law banning abortion in cases of fetal abnormality. Standing is a legal requirement that requires a plaintiff to show injury, a causal connection between the law and the injury, and the [...]
India Supreme Court rules against legalizing same-sex marriages
The India Supreme Court on Tuesday held that there is no fundamental right for same-sex couples to get married. A five-judge bench of the court, headed by the Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, ruled against recognizing same-sex marriages, as well as civil unions for non-heterosexual couples in India in a 3-2 verdict. Earlier [...]
Sharareh Abdolhoseinzadeh is a law student and a PhD in Political Sociology. She files this from Tehran. On Friday, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to an imprisoned Iranian woman, Narges Mohammadi, a political and civil activist who has been in prison for many years. In selecting her, the Nobel Committee emphasized her connection [...]
US Supreme Court releases orders after September 'long conference'
The US Supreme Court released orders Friday and Monday after its September “long conference.” The court granted certiorari for 12 cases Friday and two cases Monday for its Winter term, to be argued in January or February. All cases listed in Friday’s order were granted certiorari. The accepted cases include: Moody v. Netchoice; Netchoice v. [...]
Israel Supreme Court hears petitions against judicial reform amendment
The Israeli Supreme Court convened Tuesday morning to hear petitions against a judicial reform amendment which would annul the country’s reasonableness standard. The reforms, introduced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year, continue to fuel nationwide protests. All 15 Israeli Supreme Court justices gathered to preside over the hearing. Usually, cases are heard by a [...]
In Kenya, Is Public Participation in Governance Purely Cosmetic?
In June 2023, Kenyan High Court Judge Mugure Thande issued conservatory orders temporarily halting the implementation of the controversial 2023 2023 Finance Act. These orders were later upheld by Justice Thande in July, and the case was referred to Chief Justice, Martha Koome, to empanel a bench for further proceedings. Subsequently, a 3-judge bench, led [...]
The Supreme Court of Ohio granted motions to dismiss two challenges to congressional maps on Thursday, upholding the use of maps that have previously been deemed unconstitutional. Both motions were filed on Tuesday by petitioners contending that the maps were drawn with unfair partisan bias. The court granted one dismissal in Neiman v. LaRose, and another [...]