The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in three cases. The first case, Mathena v. Malvo, is known as the “DC sniper” case and involves Lee Boyd Malvo, who was 17 years old when he was convicted of two counts of capital murder in Virginia. As a result of this conviction, Malvo was sentenced [...]
![UN rights office: Turkey may be held responsible for violations in Syria](https://www.jurist.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/11/Syrian_Army_tanks_1_Operation_Damascus_Steel_March_2018.png)
A spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights warned Tuesday that Turkey may be held responsible for executions and civilian casualties that have occurred as a part of the Turkish military offensive in northern Syria. Spokesperson Rupert Colville stated that their office has received reports detailing civilian casualties as well [...]
![Amnesty calls on Turkish and Kurdish forces to respect international humanitarian law](https://www.jurist.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/09/Syria-Ruins-After-Missile-Strike.jpg)
Amnesty International called Wednesday for Turkish and Kurdish forces to respect international humanitarian law in Syria. The statement came after “ Turkish government spokesman said on Wednesday that the USA had given them the green light to carry out a military offensive against Kurdish forces.” Amnesty called for both Turkish and Kurdish forces to respect [...]
![President Trump’s lawyers send letter to House Democrats refusing to participate in impeachment inquiry](https://www.jurist.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/10/White-House-Side-View.jpg)
US President Donald Trump’s legal counsel sent a letter to House Democrats Tuesday saying that the president will not participate in the ongoing impeachment inquiry. The letter states that the impeachment inquiry is “constitutionally invalid and a violation of due process.” The letter also states that the inquiry was started without a House vote and [...]
A judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday that temporarily prevents the state from enforcing a fetal heartbeat abortion ban that was signed into law earlier this year. This preliminary injunction comes following a lawsuit that was filed by several organizations after the bill was [...]
Seventeen US states sued the Trump administration Wednesday over its attempt to weaken the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The suit was brought in response to three rules that the states believe “undermine key requirements of the federal Endangered Species Act.” The ESA “protects more than 1,600 plant and animal species in the United States and [...]
![Massachusetts announces four-month ban on sale of vaping products](https://www.jurist.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/09/vape_1569427575.jpg)
Massachusetts officials on Tuesday announced a four-month ban on the sale of vaping products, starting immediately. The ban comes in response to the outbreak of lung diseases that are being traced back to the use vaping products. It will include both flavored and non-flavored products, and will apply “to all vaping products and devices, including [...]
The UK’s High Court ruled Wednesday that a transgender man who had given birth to a child must be legally registered as the mother of the child. The issue arose when a transgender man gave birth to a child and wished to be legally registered as the father or, alternatively, the parent of the child. [...]
![California lawmakers approve rent control legislation](https://www.jurist.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/09/neighborhood_1568302718.jpg)
The California Legislature on Wednesday passed a bill known as the Tenant Protection Act of 2019. The bill includes several provisions aimed at protecting tenants. First, it provides that “after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property for 12 months,” the owner of that property “shall not terminate the tenancy without [...]
![Global Commission calls for investment against climate change](https://www.jurist.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/08/climate_change_1565285992.jpg)
The Global Commission on Adaptation issued a report Tuesday highlighting the dangers of climate change and “call on governments and businesses to take urgent action to innovate and advance climate adaptation solutions in light of new research findings.” The report analyzed climate impacts and ultimately found “that adaptation can produce significant economic returns.” The report [...]