New Jersey legislature suspends executions, sets up death penalty study News
New Jersey legislature suspends executions, sets up death penalty study

[JURIST] The New Jersey Legislature [official website] passed a bill [draft text] Monday to suspend executions and create a New Jersey Death Penalty Study Commission [statement, PDF] to examine all aspects of the death penalty [JURIST news archive], including its fairness and costs. The 13-member commission will report back to the legislature in November on whether the death penalty is consistent with evolving standards of decency, whether the selection of defendants for capital murder is arbitrary and unfair, and whether alternatives exist that would promote public safety and address the needs of victims' families. The legislation received bipartisan support and Governor Richard J. Codey [official website] has indicated he will approve it. New Jersey reinstated the death penalty in 1982, although the last execution there took place in 1963; there are currently 10 prisoners on death row. Although New Jersey is the first state to suspend executions through formal legislation, other states like Illinois and Maryland have passed similar suspensions by executive order. Twelve other states have ordered similar study commissions. AP has more.

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.