Iraq election results to be announced Sunday News
Iraq election results to be announced Sunday

[JURIST] A spokesman for the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq [official website; English version] said in Baghdad Saturday that the final tally of results from the January 30 election will be announced at 4 PM Sunday local time (8 AM ET); it is expected that they will be published online here. Partial results released previously [JURIST report] give the lead to a Shiite Islamic list, with Kurdish parties and a party group [political party website] led by Iraqi Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi coming third. The Transitional National Assembly chosen in the vote will draft a permanent constitution for Iraq which will be put to a popular referendum in the fall. BBC News has more. JURIST provides an archive of Iraq election coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism

November 9 is the International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism [UNITED factsheet]. On November 9, 1924, American gay activist Henry Gerber and several associates formed the Society for Human Rights, the first gay rights organization in the United States. The Society received a charter from the State of Illinois in December but was disbanded in July 1925 after a police raid which led to Gerber's arrest and trial (albeit not conviction). Pay a virtual visit to Henry Gerber House, now a registered Chicago landmark.

Supreme Court strikes down Massachusetts anti-draft law

On November 9, 1970, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 in Massachusetts v. Laird not to hear the case of the state's anti-draft law. Massachusetts had passed a law, which allowed its citizens to decline to fight in any undeclared war, even if the person was drafted. The law was passed in opposition to the draft and the war in Vietnam. The First Circuit found the war constitutional and thus struck down the law.