Zimbabwe parliament amends constitution empowering president to select top judges News
Zimbabwe parliament amends constitution empowering president to select top judges

Zimbabwe’s parliament on Monday voted to amend its constitution to empower the president to handpick the nation’s top judges. With this amendment, President Robert Mugabe [Britannica profile] will have substantially greater power [Guardian report] than he did under the 2013 constitution. Under the previous version, the president’s power in selecting top judges was limited, as he could only choose justices from the judiciary services commission’s list of candidates. The decision sparked political tensions in Zimbabwe, since many who oppose an authoritarian government have made great strides in recent years to democratize the country.

The amendment comes from the 2013 battle between Zanu-PF [official website] and the opposition parties, regarding government authority. Mugabe’s presidency has only increased the tension in the last year. In February Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court rejected a case [JURIST article] alleging that Mugabe is unfit to hold office because of his age, holding that the applicant failed to follow proper court filing procedures. In October the Harare High Court in Zimbabwe upheld [JURIST report] a 30-day ban against protests in the capital, despite calls from Amnesty International for the ban to be lifted.

THIS DAY @ LAW

38 Santee Sioux hanged by US for rebellion

On December 26, 1862, 38 Santee Sioux men were hanged in a mass execution for their roles in a rebellion against US authorities in Minnesota which left hundreds dead and made refugees of some 40,000 white settlers. Government annuities promised under a treaty with the Sioux had failed to arrive on schedule and credit for purchases was not advanced in the meantime, threatening the tribe with starvation. The Santee Sioux Tribe's members were deported first to South Dakota and ultimately to Nebraska, where they remain today. Learn more about the 1862 Minnesota Sioux Rebellion.

Louis XVI put on trial during French Revolution

On December 26, 1792, Romain de Sèze, a defense attorney for deposed King Louis XVI, presented a defense of his client. The former King was on trial before a French Revolutionary court on thirty-three charges, including treason and other crimes against the state. He was convicted on January 15, 1793 executed by guillotine on the following January 21.