Legal agenda and live webcasts ~ Monday, November 15 News
Legal agenda and live webcasts ~ Monday, November 15

[JURIST] Here's a run-down of law-related events, expected developments and live webcasts on JURIST's docket for Monday, November 15.

The US Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will hold a 12 PM ET hearing on Saddam Hussein's abuse of the UN Oil-for-Food program. Charles Duelfer, chief weapons inspector in Iraq, is scheduled to testify. Watch a live webcast.

The trial of Fatmir Limaj and two others begins Monday at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The three men are charged with participation in a joint criminal enterprise to target Serb civilians, and perceived Albanian collaborators, for intimidation, imprisonment, violence and murder. A pre-trial conference will be webcast beginning at 10:30 AM local time (4:30 AM ET) and the trial itself will be webcast beginning at 2:45 PM local time (8:45 AM ET); both webcasts are on a 30-minute tape delay. The ICTY has background on the case.

At the United Nations, the Security Council will meet at 10 AM ET to discuss the situation in Timor-Leste and will reconvene at 3:30 PM ET to discuss the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. Following closed consultations on the same topic, the Security Council will then meet to discuss the situation in Cote d'Ivoire. Watch a live webcast…. The General Assembly will meet at 10 AM and will hear reports from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Watch a live webcast.

The European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs will hold a hearing on the nomination of Franco Frattini as EU Justice Commissioner. Watch a live webcast beginning at 6 PM local time (12 PM ET). JURIST's Paper Chase has background on Frattini's nomination. Following the hearing, Frattini and members of the Parliament committee will hold a press conference. Watch a live webcast of the briefing, scheduled to begin at approximately 9:00 PM local time (3:00 PM ET).

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.