An interim report from a commission led by retired state High Court judge Michael D’Cunha in India’s Karnataka on Sunday recommended the prosecution of former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa and former health minister B. Sriramulu for alleged corruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, submitted to the Karnataka government on August 31, details extensive financial irregularities [...]

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled Thursday in the case Central Unitaria de Traballadores/as v. Spain, upholding Spain’s decision to ban a May Day demonstration during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The court determined that the restriction on the trade union’s right to assembly was justified due to the extreme public health [...]

The Hong Kong Court of Appeal, in a 2-1 majority, quashed the Communications Authority’s findings against Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) for breaching the media code on Wednesday. The court nullified the warning that had been issued as a sanction for the alleged violations of principles concerning accuracy and impartiality. The appeal centered on Headliner, [...]

The recent decision by Italy’s Court of Cassation (Corte di Cassazione) in case number 27115/2024 has sparked numerous reactions due to its consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic as a potential extenuating circumstance in a femicide case. This crime, which garnered significant media attention in Italian society, involved a perpetrator who was initially sentenced to life [...]

Danielle Smith, the conservative premier of the western Canadian province of Alberta, re-confirmed on Monday that she will table amendments to the Alberta Human Rights Act to include vaccination status as a protected ground from discrimination. The amendment was a key campaign promise, along with the enactment of the Alberta Sovereignty Act, which allows the [...]

The US Department of Justice announced on Thursday a massive nationwide operation leading to the indictment of nearly 200 individuals involved in healthcare fraud schemes, with fraudulent claims exceeding $2.7 billion. The operation revealed that over the past two weeks 193 individuals, including 76 doctors, nurse practitioners and other licensed medical professionals, have been charged [...]

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, post-secondary education institutions rapidly shifted to virtual learning environments: They quickly adopted virtual technology platforms and, as the pandemic oscillated in intensity, established functional, effective and integrated bimodal learning platforms (i.e., in-person lectures with an option to participate remotely). University faculties prided themselves on these rapid transitions, which allowed them [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on many aspects of our modern lives. Mandatory face masks, local and national lockdowns, and compulsory social distancing in public places have become a part of everyday routines all around the world. The pandemic has also tested the regulatory and administrative capacity of both states and international organizations to [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on December 17 in a bipartisan, 2-1 decision upheld OSHA’s vaccine-or-test requirements for the American workplace and lifted a stay previously put in place by the Fifth Circuit. Judge Jane Stranch, an Obama appointee, joined by Judge Julia Gibbons, appointed by George W. Bush, wrote that [...]

On November 16 the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati  was randomly selected by the Multi-district Litigation Panel in Washington, DC to decide whether the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate for American workers, promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), is legal. OSHA’s rules, which are planned to take full effect on [...]