ICTY presses Milosevic on calling world leaders as witnesses News
ICTY presses Milosevic on calling world leaders as witnesses

[JURIST] The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia [official website] warned former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic [ICTY case backgrounder; JURIST news archive] Thursday that he must speed up his attempt to call world leaders, including former President Bill Clinton, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, to testify at his war crimes trial. Milosevic has indicated that he would like call them as witnesses, but he has not begun the formalities necessary to do so, such as providing reasons why they should be called. Milosevic's court-appointed counsel has been asked to draw up the necessary documents. Presiding Judge Patrick Robinson has indicated the ICTY will issue the subpoenas if Milosevic complies with the procedure. However, prosecutors and the Court have indicated the trial, which began in February 2002, should be brought to a close as soon as possible. Milosevic is conducting his own defense, but the trial has been repeatedly delayed due to his lack of cooperation and poor health. Milosevic faces war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity charges from his leadership of Yugoslavia during the 1990s and the Balkan wars. DPA has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Thomas Becket, former Chancellor of England, murdered by Henry II's knights

On December 29, 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket, former Chancellor of England, was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by knights acting in the name of Henry II.

Becket and Henry had been entangled in a power struggle over, among other things, criminal jurisdiction over clergy. Read a contemporary account of the murder of Thomas Becket.

Texas attains US statehood

On December 29, 1845, Texas became the twenty-eighth state to join the United States of America when US President James K. Polk signed the Ordinance of Annexation. Texas had a complicated path to statehood because it had formerly been part of Mexico and then an independent republic. The US Congress passed the Annexation of the Republic of Texas Joint Resolution on March 1, 1845. Voters in Texas then approved the Ordinance of Annexation in October, before it was approved by the US Congress and signed into law by President Polk on this day in 1845. The US Supreme Court later ruled in Texas v. White that, despite its unique path to statehood, Texas did not have the right to secede from the union.