The US Supreme Court Monday unanimously ruled in Rousey v. Jacoway that Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) can be exempted from a bankruptcy estate, allowing bankruptcy filers to retain their IRAs rather than forcing them to divide the assets among their creditors. The Rouseys claimed an exemption but their bankruptcy trustee objected, arguing that 11 U.S.C. [...]

Sudan over the weekend formally rejected UN Security Council Resolution 1593 authorizing the International Criminal Court to conduct investigations and prosecutions of individuals alleged to have committed war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan. Sudan had previously expressed its displeasure with the resolution, claiming that it could conduct valid war crimes trials in-country. On [...]

Former Serbian police general Sreten Lukic was delivered Monday to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. It is as yet unclear whether he surrendered, or was arrested and forcibly transferred. Eyewitnesses reported seeing Lukic approached by government officials Monday after a medical check-up. Lukic has chronic heart problems and underwent [...]

As anticipated , former Kyrgyzstan President Askar Akayev signed resignation papers Monday in Russia, removing himself from the highest office in the recently troubled Central Asian republic. Akayev, accompanied by long-time political opponent and current Parliament Speaker Omurbek Tekebayev , signed the requisite legal documents papers in the Kyrgyz Embassy in Moscow. He fled Kyrgyzstan [...]

Here's a run-down of law-related events, expected developments and live webcasts on JURIST's docket for Monday, April 4. The US Senate resumes its session at 2 PM ET today. Watch a live webcast of the session. The US House will return from its Easter recess Tuesday, April 5. The Committee for Justice is holding a [...]

A UN envoy announced Sunday that Syria will withdraw its 14,000 troops from Lebanon by the end of April, before Lebanese parliamentary elections in May. Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara told the UN's Terje Roed-Larsen that "all Syrian troops, military assets and the intelligence apparatus will have been withdrawn fully and completely latest by April [...]

Iraq's transitional National Assembly took an important step forward Sunday, naming a Sunni Arab, Hajim al-Hassani, as parliament speaker . The selection ends days of shouting, bickering, and accusations. Two deputies were also chosen–Kurdish politician Aref Tayfour, and Shia politician Hussein al-Shahrastani. With Assembly leaders now selected, the body can now name Iraq's new president [...]

The body of Terri Schiavo was cremated Saturday amidst continued disputes between her husband Michael and her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler. Michael Schiavo wanted the body cremated and the ashes buried at the family plot in Pennsylvania; the Schindlers wanted her body buried in Florida so they could visit her grave. A court order [...]

Updating a Saturday report on JURIST's Paper Chase, US military officials Sunday raised the casualty total from Saturday's late-night attack on the infamous Abu Ghraib prison to 56, including 44 Americans and 12 detainees. Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility . At least 40 insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades against the facility and exploded two car bombs [...]

Former US Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell Saturday joined the Democratic party chorus opposing Republican threats to ban Senate filibusters of judicial nominees. Delivering the Democrats' Saturday radio address, Mitchell chided Republicans for seeking to overturn a 200-year old Senate practice in the face of Senate approval of some 95% of Bush judicial appointees. The [...]