Tokyo’s High Court found the government of Japan not liable Tuesday for damages related to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster and associated mass evacuations, leaving responsibility solely with plant operator the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO). The ruling also reduced the damages amounts of a previous court order from $414,400 to $165,000 for 44 of [...]
The New York City Council moved to largely ban solitary confinement in city jails in a 39-7 vote Wednesday and also added new restrictions on other safety management tactics. The council’s newly passed bill would prohibit placing inmates in solitary confinement for more than eight hours at night to sleep or for more than two hours [...]
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill into law Monday that criminalizes illegal entry into the border state from anywhere but a port of entry, exerting state jurisdiction over what is normally a federal matter. The bill creates a misdemeanor offense for violation of the statute and a felony crime for multiple offenses. It also [...]
The Peru constitutional court moved Wednesday to affirm a 2017 pardon granting the release of ex-President Alberto Fujimori despite an Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruling that required the release be blocked. Fujimori was convicted in 2009 and sentenced to the maximum term of 25 years for various war crimes and corruption during his [...]
In a joint statement signed last Thursday but announced Tuesday, the government of the Philippines and communist group the National Democratic Front (NDFP) have reached an agreement to reset peace negotiations in an attempt to end a 50 year long conflict. The agreement was facilitated by Norway and signed in Oslo by Philippines Special Advisor [...]
The Brazil Federal Senate approved a constitutional amendment Wednesday that restricts the Supreme Federal Court’s (STF) ability to preliminarily rule on cases without at least six of the 11 members on the court, deepening a growing conflict between the country’s legislative and judicial branches. Changes also include a six-month deadline for the court to decide [...]
The New York Court of Appeals upheld a New York City law Monday that banned chokehold restraints, thereby rejecting a police union challenge that called the law unconstitutional. Section 10-181 of the New York City Administrative Code was passed by the New York City Council in 2020 as a response to the deaths of George [...]
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation filed a complaint in US federal court Wednesday against the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, accusing the city of violating tribal sovereignty by writing tickets to tribal members for traffic violations committed within reservation boundaries. The nation asserts that the city lacks criminal jurisdiction over Native Americans on the tribe’s lands without [...]
A comprehensive US government climate report released Tuesday confirmed that extreme weather linked to climate change is worsening despite drops in US greenhouse gas emissions. The report urged further action to mitigate potentially catastrophic consequences across the country. The Fifth National Climate Assessment report comes amid a rash of extreme weather events that have affected [...]
The Indonesian Constitutional Court Ethics Council stripped Chief Justice Anwar Usman of his role Tuesday for ethics violations tied to his participation in a recent case that changed Indonesian law, allowing President Joko Widodo’s son to run for the vice-presidency in the upcoming elections. However, Usman will remain on the court. In October, Usman took [...]
