The UN Human Rights Commission passed a resolution Thursday condemning Israel's settlements on Palestinian territories by 39-2, with 12 abstentions. The resolution called for the Israeli government to reverse the policy and to take measures meant to guarentee the safety of Palestinian civilians. The group is later expected to vote on resolutions condemning abuses in [...]

The Gaza Strip Regional Council has authorized a team of 100 lawyers and assessors to negotiate with the Israeli government about moving Gaza strip settlers as a group to the coastal area of Nitzanim in southern Israel . When Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his plan to withdraw from the the Gaza Strip, settlers indicated [...]

Russian prosecutor general Vladimir Ustinov has won a new term in office. Ustinov has recently led the Russian government's legal charge against businessmen Vladimir Gusinsky , Boris Berezovsky and former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky . Ustinov, whose term has coincided almost exactly as that of President Vladimir Putin , overwhelmingly won re-approval by the Russian [...]

The United Nations said Wednesday in an annual report by its High Commissioner for Human Rights that Colombia's human rights situation had become critical in 2004, citing instances of torture and murder by the country's illegal armed groups as well as members of the state security forces. The report identifies the main violators to be [...]

Here's a run-down of law-related events, expected developments and live webcasts on JURIST's docket for Thursday, April 14. The US Senate convenes at 9:30 AM ET today, when it will consider H.R. 1268 , the Iraq/Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations bill. Watch a live webcast of the session. The Senate Judiciary Committee Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship [...]

HR 8, Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005, approved by US House of Representatives on April 13, 2005 . Read the full text of the bill here. The Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Keeler, et al. v. Stalder, et al., United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, April 13, 2005 . Excerpt: Keeler's First Amendment attack on Louisiana's prestige license plate program satisfies only the first part of Hibbs. Her success, however, flies in the face of Hibbs's second prong: in enjoining the program's operation, Keeler's [...]

In a major setback for the country's political opposition, Pakistan's Supreme Court Wednesday dismissed petitions contending that the dual role of General Pervez Musharraf as Pakistan president and army chief of staff is contrary to the provisions of the Pakistan constitution . The judgment is considered a show of support for Musharraf, who in 2004 [...]

International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, draft approved by the UN General Assembly, April 13, 2005 . Read the full text of the draft treaty here . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Johnson et al. v. Governor of the State of Florida, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, April 12, 2005 . Excerpt: Florida's felon disenfranchisement provision is not a violation of the Equal Protection Clause under the standard the Court adopted in Hunter. Florida's re-enactment of the felon disenfranchisement provision in the 1968 [...]