US District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema reduced the sentences Friday of three Virginia men convicted of participating in terror training. Brinkeme had been required to sentence members of the "Virginia Jihad" to lengthy prison terms she had called excessive before the Supreme Court's ruling in United States v. Booker invalidated mandatory sentencing guidelines. She reduced [...]

The UN General Assembly's Sicth (Legal) Committee restarted work on a treaty against international terrorism Friday, motivated by a rash of recent attacks in Egypt and Great Britain. Moroccan Ambassador Mohamed Bennouna said that the committee "has broken the ice", referring to rifts among the panel on the definition of terrorism and the Palestinian peace [...]

In California, US District Judge Audrey Collins ruled Friday that the provision of the USA Patriot Act that forbids "assistance" to known terrorist organizations continues to be overly vague, in violation of her 2004 ruling on the same provision . The lawsuit was filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights, who was concerned about the [...]

By voice vote late Friday the US Senate unanimously approved a bill that would permanently extend most provisions of the USA Patriot Act while limiting it in the most controversial areas. The Senate legislation puts a four-year cap on the two most highly debated measures – the "library provision," which allows the FBI to obtain [...]

The US Department of Justice said Friday that it has charged Dutch citizen Wasem al Delaema with attempting to kill US soldiers in Iraq during October 2003. Iraqi-born al Delaema is a member of the "Fighters of Fallujah", seen on a videotape obtained by Dutch prosecutors showing the group explaining how they set landmines near [...]

A French court Friday revoked the parental rights of eight individuals convicted for running a child prostitution ring earlier this week. Sixty-two men and women were convicted for offering forty-five children, ranging in age from six months to fifteen years, for sex from 1999 to 2002. The French court's decision will make the eight parents' [...]

S. 397, Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, passed by the US Senate on July 29, 2005 . Read the full text of the bill here. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Energy Policy Act of 2005, passed by the US Senate on July 29, 2005 . Read the full text of the bill here . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur to the United Nations Security-General, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, released on July 29, 2005 . Excerpt: The Sudanese justice system is unable and unwilling to address the situation in Darfur. This system has been significantly weakened during the last decade. Restrictive laws that [...]

Leading Friday's corporations and securities law news, the UK's Competition Commission has concluded that takeover bids from Euronext and Deutsche Boerse for the London Stock Exchange (LSE) would negatively affect competition. In its report, the commission said that either company would need to divest itself of its clearing services in order for its bid to [...]