The government of British Prime Minister Tony Blair won a key vote in Parliament late Tuesday on the proposed national ID card plan , but its 66-seat majority was cut in half with Conservatives and some Labor Party members voting against the measure. The proposed cards would use biometric technology in fingerprint, face, and iris [...]

US-born Israeli soldier Avi Bieber was sentenced to 56 days in jail Tuesday for refusing to participate in the evacuation of settlers from Gaza . Military officials said the stiff sentence is meant to send a message to other soldiers who claim they will refuse similar assignments and an Israeli Defense Force statement said "soldiers [...]

A new report by a UN Commission of Experts says Indonesia's efforts to examine atrocities committed in East Timor in 1999 was "manifestly inadequate" and show "scant respect for or conformity to relevant international standards," after Jakarta failed to jail any senior officials , and all but 1 of the 18 tried were acquitted. In [...]

Mexican lawmakers Tuesday approved a law permitting Mexicans living abroad to vote by mail in next July's presidential election. The lower house of Congress passed the measure 455 to 6, with 6 abstentions. The measure has already been passed by the Mexican Senate and will be presented to President Vincente Fox for signing, which he [...]

Bill C-38, An Act respecting certain aspects of legal capacity for marriage for civil purposes, passed by Canada's House of Commons on June 28, 2005 . Excerpt: WHEREAS the Parliament of Canada is committed to upholding the Constitution of Canada, and section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees that every individual [...]

Lee v. Department of Justice, et al., United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, June 28, 2005 . Excerpt: We hold that the District Court did not abuse its discretion in holding four of the five journalists in contempt and therefore affirm as to four of the Appellants. Because there was [...]

Energy Policy Act of 2005, passed by the United States Senate on June 28, 2005 . Read the full text of the bill here. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chasehere.

In a Tuesday evening sitting Canada's House of Commons has passed a bill that will legalize same-sex marriage across Canada. The legislation, presented by the minority Liberty Party government as a non-partisan "free vote" for MPs other than Cabinet ministers, was approved 158-133. Most members of the opposition Conservative Party voted against the measure, with [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Tuesday rejected a lawsuit against the Japanese government filed by 15 Asian women who claim Japanese soldiers forced them to act as "comfort women" , or sex slaves, during World War II. The court said it is not allowed to hear the case because the [...]

In a primetime TV address to the nation from Fort Bragg, NC, marking the one-year anniversary of the return of local sovereignty to Iraqi hands President Bush has focused primarily on security-related issues relating to the ongoing American military presence in the country, but also called on Iraqis to write a "good constitution" drawing together [...]