A blue-ribbon California civil justice commission comprised of lawyers, judges, and academic, business, labor and community leaders has called for interpreters to be made available in civil as well as criminal cases in California courts. The California Commission on Access to Justice issued a report Tuesday saying there is a "dire and unmet need for [...]

The European Court of Justice ruled Tuesday that the European Union can require member states to criminally prosecute companies that violate EU environmental laws. The decision was made in response to a 2001 lawsuit brought by the European Commission against the 25 EU governments for not writing the criminal prosecution of environmental violators into legislation [...]

Nepali police Tuesday detained at least 250 pro-democracy activists – including a former deputy prime minister – for defying a ban on demonstrations in the Kathmandu city center. Protestors from seven major political parties took to the streets to condemn the February seizure of power by King Gyanendra . Organizers insist that the number arrested [...]

The president of Australia's Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) , a national independent statutory government body, cautioned Tuesday that the country's proposed new anti-terrorism measures could violate human rights and said the legislation needed a time limit to ensuring periodic review of the terror law. John von Doussa said Australia must be careful [...]

Sunni Arab negotiators Tuesday requested that the UN guarantee a fair referendum on the draft Iraqi constitution , while expressing frustration and rejecting the latest version of the charter. Sunni negotiator Hussein al Falluji said he and others had spoken with Ashraf Qazi, UN Special Envoy to Iraq, to ask for an assurance that the [...]

The Ukrainian Constitutional Court Tuesday approved by a 10-4 margin a draft law that would alter the country's constitution by limiting presidential authority while strengthening parliamentary control. The measure, to take effective on January 1, 2006, gives parliament the power to appoint the prime minister, defense minister, and foreign minister after nomination by the president. [...]

Italy's highest court upheld a lower court ruling Tuesday permitting the extradition of Hussain Osman , also known as Hamdi Issac, a suspect in the failed July 21 London bomb attacks . Osman, who is expected to be transferred to Britain within the next 10 days, was arrested in Italy the week following the attacks [...]

Transcript of Day 1 of confirmation hearings for Judge John Roberts, Jr., nominated to be Chief Justice of the United States, US Senate Judiciary Committee, September 12, 2005. Read the full text transcript as provided to AP by by CQ Transcriptions, LLC .

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah approved government plans Monday to set up an "independent human rights commission" which would "protect human rights and spread awareness about them…in keeping with the provisions of Islamic law." The decision was made at a Cabinet meeting which was chaired by the King. This will be the second such agency in [...]

In a JURIST Forum special, JURIST Contributing Editor William G. Ross, Professor of Law at Samford University's Cumberland School of Law in Alabama, reviews the first day of the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Chief Justice nominee John Roberts, and wonders about the baseball metaphor chosen by the nominee to describe his judicial role… [...]