Legal News

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders requested Monday the urgent intervention of Chinese authorities regarding the arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan. Zhang Zhan is accused of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble.” Currently, there is no information about Zhang Zhan’s situation at the Pudong Detention Center in Shanghai [...]

Amnesty International released a report on Friday shedding light on the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education of Indigenous youth across multiple continents. Drawing on more than 80 interviews and surveys conducted between 2021 and 2023, the organization’s findings highlighted systemic inequities, a glaring lack of consultation with Indigenous communities, and a need [...]

The Hong Kong Court of Appeal (CA) on Thursday dismissed the government’s application for leave to appeal a case concerning a satire show that criticized police anti-epidemic efforts during the COVID-19 lockdown. In the application, the Communication Authority submitted three questions for the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (CFA) to consider. First, the application [...]

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, [...]

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 [...]

Malaysia’s Federal Court on Wednesday dismissed the Malaysian Bar’s bid to appeal a government emergency proclamation over fake news amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The bar raised 27 constitutional questions concerning the validity of the law. Still, the court ruled that the bar did not fulfill the threshold requirement under Section 96 of the Courts of [...]

Brazilian federal prosecutors have filed charges against Jair Renan Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, for crimes including money laundering, misrepresentation and the presentation of fraudulent documents, Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported Wednesday.  Jair Renan, whose father served as the 38th president of Brazil from 2019-2022, was charged alongside his business partner, Maciel [...]