US Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg has announced that Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist will not be present for the judicial session beginning this Monday, when the Supreme Court reconvenes to hear oral arguments. The session, consisting of two arguments per day, lasts Nov. 29 through Dec. 1 and Dec. 8 through Dec. 10. Rehnquist, [...]

Federal bankruptcy court judge Eugene Wedoff issued a temporary restraining order Friday blocking creditors from repossessing 14 jets owned by financially troubled United Airlines, who filed for bankruptcy in December 2002. The protection of the eight Boeing 767s and six 737s will save the airline tens of millions of dollars. The creditors, represented by Chicago-based [...]

BBC News is reporting that in an extraordinary Saturday session the Ukrainian parliament has declared the disputed presidential election of last Sunday invalid. 9:10 AM ET – Radio Free Europe now has more. A wire story in the Kyiv Post notes that "the legislators' move was not legally binding, but was a clear demonstration of [...]

Following up on earlier reports today in JURIST's Paper Chase, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma's office announced late Friday that a multiparty, multilateral working group has been established to reach what Kuchma previously described as a "political and legal compromise" in the Ukrainian election crisis. The group's establishment was announced after a meeting between Kuchma, Prime [...]

Hislop et al. v. Attorney General of Canada, Court of Appeal for Ontario, November 26, 2004 . Read the full text of the ruling here . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

The UN Committee Against Torture called Friday for a definitive statement by the United Kingdom that "evidence" procured through torture is unadmissible at trial. The Committee, which monitors adherence to the UN Convention Against Torture, is acting in response to an August ruling by the Court of Appeals for England and Wales that stated evidence [...]

The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled Friday that same-sex partners are entitled to survivor benefits under the government-run Canada Pension Plan. The court held that benefits should be paid dating back to 1985, but there will be no payments of back-benefits to partner's estates. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler stated that he would review the opinion [...]

In a reversal from earlier statements, jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti announced Friday he will not seek the presidency of the Palestinian Authority. Pressure from Fatah leaders who were fearful of a party split influenced Barghouti's decision. Quddoura Fares, a Fatah cabinet minister who was sent to dissuade Barghouti from pursuing candidacy, stated that Barghouti [...]

A Pakistani district magistrate has ordered all copies of the November 22nd issue of Newsweek magazine destroyed for publishing material that desecrates the Koran. Islamic groups in the country have said that an article about murdered Dutch film-maker Theo Van Gogh which also included pictures of a woman with Koranic verses inscribed on her body [...]

The World Trade Organization Friday approved sanctions against the US for failing to repeal the Byrd Amendment, federal legislation that directs US Customs to distribute duties collected as a result of "antidumping" and countervailing duty orders to US goods producers found to have been injured by foreign dumping and subsidies. The sanctions were supposed to [...]