The European Commission is threatening to censure Sweden for failing to refer enough cases to the European Court of Justice. The Commission says that Sweden is breaking its EU treaty obligations by referring only three cases to the ECJ since 2001. Under the EU treaty, a court from which there is no right of appeal [...]

Federal enforcement of civil rights laws declined sharply during the Bush administration, according to a new study released by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a non-partisan research center housed at Syracuse University. According to the TRAC report, federal prosecutors filed charges for violations of civil rights laws against only 84 defendants in 2003, down from [...]

Britain is considering a host of new anti-terrorism measures including the introduction of special courts to try terror suspects without a jury, according to an interview given by Home Secretary David Blunkett. Other measures being considered include allowing evidence gained from phone tapping to be used in trials and the introduction of "civil orders" to [...]

In a Monday editorial, the Washington Post opposes the nomination of Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General, citing Gonzales' role in a February 2002 presidential memorandum that concluded that the Geneva Conventions should be set aside for "unlawful combatants." Gonzales authored a January 2002 memorandum that concluded that the Geneva Conventions were "obsolete" and inapplicable to [...]

The longest and most expensive public investigation in British legal history entered its final phase Monday with lawyer Christopher Clarke beginning a two-day closing speech intended to provide an overview of the evidence heard by the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. British Prime Minister Tony Blair established the inquiry in 1998 to investigate the 1972 killing by [...]

As the European Commission begins its work Monday, new objections are being raised as to the suitability of the France's commissioner. Some European Parliament members are calling for the suspension of Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot for failing to disclose a previous conviction for embezzlement during his confirmation hearings. Barrot initially received a suspended prison sentence [...]

Here's a run-down of law-related events, expected developments and live webcasts on JURIST's docket for Monday, November 22. The trial of Fatmir Limaj and his co-defendants continues Monday at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Watch a webcast of the trial beginning at 9:30 AM local time (3:30 AM ET); the webcast is [...]

A US District Court judge refused Sunday to issue a temporary restraining order barring the hand-counting of ballots in the recount of Washington's governor's race. The lawsuit, filed Saturday by the Washington State Republican Party, asked the court to bar hand-counting of ballots that are rejected by voting machines. State rules require a machine recount [...]

Members of the Paris Club agreed Sunday to write-off $31 billion in Iraqi debt. All 19 members of the multinational group of creditor countries, which include France, Germany and the US, agreed to eliminate 80% of Iraq's $39 billion debt over the course of 3 years. 30% of the debt will be eliminated immediately, and [...]

Expressing frustration over slow extradition processes, Peruvian state attorney Nelly Calderon said Sunday that the International Court of Justice should be called upon to take the case against former President Alberto Fujimori. Fujimori fled Peru for Japan in 2000 and various requests for extradition have failed. Fujimori is accused of corruption and of responsibility in [...]