Here's a run-down of law-related events, expected developments and live webcasts on JURIST's docket for Thursday, March 31. The US Senate and US House are in recess until April 4. The American Society of International Law is hosting a speech by Human Rights Watch Deputy Director Joanne Mariner on human rights in Sudan. Watch a [...]

Mahmoad Abdah, et al. v. Bush, et al., US District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Henry Kennedy, March 29, 2005 . Excerpt: Presently before the court is Petitioners' motion for a preliminary injunction. Asserting that Respondents have contemplated or are contemplating transferring them to the custody of foreign nations to be further detained [...]

Schiavo, et al. v. Schiavo, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, March 30, 2005 . Excerpt: The Court having been polled at the request of one of the members of the Court and a majority of the Circuit Judges who are in regular active service not having voted in favor of it [...]

Rhines v. Weber, Supreme Court of the United States, March 30, 2005 . Read the full text of the opinion here . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Exxon Mobil v. Saudi Basic Industries, Supreme Court of the United States, March 30, 2005 . Excerpt from the opinion by Justicde Ginsburg: ExxonMobil plainly has not repaired to federal court to undo the Delaware judgment in its favor. Rather, it appears ExxonMobil filed suit in Federal District Court (only two weeks after SABIC filed [...]

Smith v. City of Jackson, Supreme Court of the United States, March 30, 2005 . Read the full text of the opinion here . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

The Connecticut House of Representatives on Wednesday voted down legislation that would have eliminated the death penalty in the state. Legislators opposed the bill by a 89-60 margin as the state's first execution in 45 years scheduled to take place in May. The bill would have replaced the death penalty with life in prison without [...]

The UN Security Council vote on whether to refer war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan has been delayed after a US request, UN representatives said Wednesday. A vote had been expected on a French resolution that would refer war crimes trials to the International Criminal Court , but the US said it wanted [...]

The Massachusetts Senate Wednesday approved by an overwhelming margin a bill to loosen restrictions on scientists conducting stem cell research. The measure, which would allow cloning of embryos from which stem cells can be extracted for research, passed by a 35-2 margin. Despite the Senate passage, the bill's future remains uncertain. The bill needs at [...]

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in Wilkinson v. Austin , a case where the Court is considering what procedures are needed to protect a prisoner's due process rights when prison officials seek to place the prisoner in a "super-maximum security" facility. Ohio is challenging a 6th Circuit ruling that prisoners are entitled [...]