The US District Court for the District of Columbia Wednesday conducted an evidentiary hearing in the decade-old Indian Trust case . The class-action suit involves the alleged mismanagement by the...

France Wednesday formally agreed to abolish the death penalty in all circumstances when it ratified a provision of the European Convention on Human Rights . Since its 2003 inception, Protocol 13 ,...

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in Medellin v. Texas , 06-984, where the court considered whether the Bush administration has the authority to direct...

Party allies of opposition leader and democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi Tuesday renewed calls for unconditional talks between Suu Kyi and junta leader Senior General Than Shwe . Members of Suu Kyi's National...

The Rhode Island Supreme Court Tuesday heard arguments in a case on whether a lesbian couple legally married in Massachusetts has the right to divorce in Rhode Island. In Chambers v. Ormiston [GLAD amicus brief, PDF; additional...

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in Stoneridge Investment v. Scientific-Atlanta , 06-43, to determine when a "secondary" actor in securities fraud, such as a...

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in New York Board of Elections v. Torres , 06-766, to consider whether the procedure by which the state...

US Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) listed what he described as topics of "concern" to be addressed in the upcoming Senate confirmation hearings for former federal judge and US Attorney General nominee Michael B. Mukasey [WH...

Pakistan agreed Tuesday to drop pending corruption charges against former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto , permitting Bhutto to enter the country for talks between her Pakistani People's Party and President Pervez Musharraf [BBC profile;...

Israel released 29 Palestinian detainees and returned them to Gaza Tuesday, adding to Monday's return of 57 prisoners to the West Bank for a total of 86 prisoners released this week. The releases are...