Lithuania became the first EU state to ratify the European Constitution on Thursday, when the Seimas, the Lithuanian Parliament, voted 84-4 (with 3 abstentions) to approve the international treaty. According to the process spelled out for ratification, all EU members must ratify the new constitution in 2005 and 2006. The process is fragile, as several [...]

Israeli police arrested nuclear whistle blower Mordechai Vanunu Thursday for allegedly revealing classified information. In April, Vanunu completed an 18-year prison sentence for leaking Israel's atomic weapons secrets. As part of the terms of his release, Vanunu was barred from meeting with foreigners and journalists and from discussing nuclear secrets. Vanunu has acknowledged violating the [...]

The US military announced Thursday that the courts-martial of Sgt. Javal Davis, Spc. Sabrina Harman and Spc. Charles Graner, who all face charges in connection with the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, will be transferred from Baghdad to Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. Read the official US Central Command news release here. Charges brought against [...]

Rauhi Fattouh, speaker of the Palestinian parliament, was sworn in Thursday to succeed Yasser Arafat as temporary president of the Palestinian Authority (website content has been replaced by a notice of Arafat's death). Under Article 54(2) of the Palestinian Basic Law, Fattouh will serve as caretaker president until elections are held to determine Arafat's permanent [...]

Here's a run-down of law-related events, expected developments and live webcasts on JURIST's docket for Thursday, November 11. Today is Veteran's Day, a US federal holiday. Federal courts and most state courts are closed. The US House and Senate are in recess until Tuesday, Nov. 16. The UN General Assembly's 51st plenary meeting today will [...]

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died early Thursday in a Paris hospital according to an official announcement. He was 75. Admired deeply by supporters but reviled by opponents, Arafat's passing ends a week of speculation over the leader's failing health after premature reports of his death circulated on Nov. 4. The Palestinian Authority leader spent his [...]

The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and the Pennsylvania-based souvenir firm the Franklin Mint settled a $25 million malicious prosecution suit out of court Wednesday. The Mint had sued the Diana Fund for $25 million in November 2002 claiming that the Fund had tried to stop it from producing souvenirs memorializing Diana after her [...]

In Wednesday's environmental law news, the Washington DC City Council yesterday rejected a bill that would have barred railroads from transporting hazardous materials on the district's rail lines. While many hazmat loads have been routed around DC since September 11, 2001, a complete ban by the city officials may have prompted a Constitutional challenge for [...]

Erwin Chemerinsky, Duke Law School: "It is hard to imagine a more conservative or more repressive attorney general than John Ashcroft. The Ashcroft Justice Department took the unprecedented position that the government could hold human beings, including American citizens, forever as enemy combatants without judicial review. Ashcroft rescinded regulations limiting surveillance of peaceful religious and [...]

Stephen Bainbridge, UCLA School of Law: "Cruising around the blogosphere, one notes proposals that John Ashcroft be replaced by as Attorney General such legitimate luminaries as Randy Barnett or Fred Thompson. Sorry, guys. Blogospheric prognostication has proved fallible. Bush just went with the conventional wisdom pick: White House counsel Alberto Gonzales. No real surprise there. [...]