Honduras joins with international NGO to form anti-corruption group News
Honduras joins with international NGO to form anti-corruption group

[JURIST] The government of Honduras and the Organization of American States (OAS) [official website] on Tuesday signed an agreement [text, in Spanish; press release] to create the Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH). The MACCIH will be composed of a team of prosecutors, judges and corruption experts tasked with investigating corruption networks in the nation. The President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernanzdez [official website], called the agreement historic [AP report]. The pressure to fight corruption in Honduras mounted in recent years, after a $300 million embezzlement scheme involving the country’s social security system was linked to a number of government officials and businessmen. The MACCIH will begin work in February, and it will operate under a four-year mandate with USD $32 million in funding from OAS.

Fighting public corruption remains a key legal issue around the world. Earlier this week the US Supreme Court granted certiorari [JURIST report] in McDonnell v. United States [SCOTUSblog backgrounder]. The court will interpret the definition of “official action” that was used to convict former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell of corruption in 2014 for accepting money in exchange for assisting a Virginia company in securing university testing of a dietary supplement. Last week the trial of former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra began [JURIST report] in the Supreme Court of Thailand, as she appeared in court to face corruption charges involving mismanagement of a rice-subsidy program. Also last week an Egyptian court rejected the appeal of ousted president Hosni Mubarak and his two sons [JURIST report] regarding their conviction of and sentence for corruption. At the end of 2015 former Guatemalan president Otto Pérez Molina was formally charged [JURIST report] by prosecutors following the investigation into the corruption scandal that led to his resignation. Molina is suspected of illicit association, customs fraud and bribery. Guatemala has a similar arrangement with OAS.

THIS DAY @ LAW

President Harding signed "anti-beer bill"

On November 23, 1921, President Warren G. Harding signed the Willis-Campbell Act, popularly termed the "anti-beer bill," prohibiting doctors from prescribing beer or liquor for medicinal purposes.

Convention on Cybercrimes opens for signature

On November 23, 2001, the Convention on Cybercrime was opened for signature in Budapest, Hungary, before entering into force on July 1, 2004. The Convention seeks to coordinate the Internet laws of signatory states and promote international enforcement of cybercrime laws. Learn more about the Convention on Cybercrime from the Council of Europe.