Speaking in Washington Wednesday, senior US Marine Lieutenant General John Sattler followed up urgings from US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for timely completion of the draft of the new Iraqi constitution by saying it would be "one more nail in the coffin" of insurgents. The looming August 15 deadline has had anxious officials in [...]

The US House of Representatives passed the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) early Thursday by a narrow two-vote margin, 217-215 after a strong push by President Bush. Senate approval of CAFTA last month 54-45 and Bush's insistence that the trade agreement with six Latin American nations would go a long way to help American [...]

The Israeli Knesset voted 54-15 on Wednesday to limit liability for lawsuits brought against the government by Palestinians claiming compensation for damages caused by the Israel Defense Forces. The so-called "Intifada Law" allows only two instances where a suit may be brought: if an IDF soldier was convicted of a traffic offense, or if a [...]

Voters' Right to Protect Marriage Initiative, submitted to the California Attorney General's office for title and summary on May 19, 2005, released by the California Attorney General to the public on July 25, 2005. Excerpt: The People of California have a compelling responsibility to protect the essence of marriage by ensuring that the civil institution [...]

A pro-government Harare paper said Wednesday that Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe told reporters that special UN envoy Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka confessed to him that she was under pressure to produce an unfavorable report on the 6-week government ordered demolition of illegal homes and businesses in the nation, also known as "Operation Murambatsvina" or (in English) [...]

US Army Sergeant Kevin Benderman will go before a general court-martial at Fort Stewart, Georgia, Thursday on charges of desertion and missing movement after he failed to report for his unit's deployment flight to Iraq on January 7. In April, the Army denied Benderman's application for Conscientious Objector status , a move that would have [...]

Updating a story previously reported in JURIST's Paper Chase, police in south London's Stockwell area arrested three women late Wednesday for allegedly harboring several suspects in last week's failed London bomb attacks . Reuters has more.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said Wednesday that notwithstanding White House warnings, Democrats plan to request additional legal writings by Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, including work he produced during his tenure as principal deputy solicitor general in President George H.W. Bush's administration. The White House said earlier this week that any work Roberts produced during [...]

Leading Wednesday's corporations and securities law news, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has announced that the SEC approved a new rule requiring firms to better inform clients about non-managed fee-based accounts (NMFBA). NYSE Rule 405(A) forces all companies traded on the NYSE to provide clients with information about different NMFBA programs available before the [...]

Leading Wednesday's states brief, the California Supreme Court today overturned a lower court and ordered that state voters will be given the opportunity to vote on Proposition 80 during a November 8th special election to decide whether California should reregulate its power market. The Independent Energy Producers Association had filed a lawsuit seeking to remove [...]