EU welcomes dropping of Turkish charges against novelist News
EU welcomes dropping of Turkish charges against novelist

[JURIST] A European Union [official website] spokesman said Monday that Turkey's action in dropping charges [JURIST report] against novelist Orhan Pamuk [TIME profile; JURIST news archive] for "insulting Turkishness" was "good news". EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn [official profile] cautioned, however, that other "journalists, editors, writers and academics still face similar charges" in Turkey, and said that the country's lawmakers needed to revise Turkey's penal code to further protect freedom of expression. Turkey is under pressure to make a wide variety of legal and social changes [JURIST report] before it will be accepted into the 25-nation European grouping. Expatica has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emporer

On December 25, 800 A.D., Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in Rome, Italy. During his lifetime, Charlemagne united most of Western Europe for the first time since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. He is credited with spreading the rule of law throughout his dominions as well as starting the French and German monarchies.

President Andrew Johnson pardoned Confederates

On December 25, 1868, President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all who had been involved in "insurrection or rebellion" during the US Civil War.