Ten Commandments courthouse display ruling [US SC] News
Ten Commandments courthouse display ruling [US SC]

McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky, Supreme Court of the United States, June 27, 2005 [ruling 5-4 that Kentucky counties that had put framed copies of the Ten Commandments in county courthouses and schools were in violation of the Establishment Cluase because they were predominatly religious and had the effect of endorsing religion]. Excerpt from the opinion, by Justice Souter:

We hold that the counties' manifest objective may be dispositive of the constitutional enquiry, and that the development of the presentation should be considered when determining its purpose.

Read the full text of the opinion here [PDF]. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Patent of Toleration grants religious freedom to Protestants in Holy Roman Empire

On October 21, 1781, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II issued the Patent of Toleration, which granted religious freedom to Protestants in the Holy Roman Empire.

First West law reports published

On October 21, 1876, the West Publishing Company, founded by John B. West, published its first law reporter, The Syllabi, which promised to provide Minnesota lawyers with legal intelligence that was "prompt, interesting, full, and at all times thoroughly reliable." The Syllabi eventually became the Northwestern Reporter, which later evolved into West's National Reporter System.

European Patent Institute established

On October 21, 1977, the European Patent Institute (EPI) was established by the European Patent Organisation pursuant to the European Patent Convention. The EPI serves as a non-governmental professional organization for patent lawyers in Europe.