Acting Israel PM to remove illegal Jewish outposts on West Bank News
Acting Israel PM to remove illegal Jewish outposts on West Bank

[JURIST] Interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert [official profile] on Wednesday asked his defense minister to create a plan for removing 24 Jewish settler outposts, deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice [official website], from the Palestinian West Bank. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon [BBC profile; official website] and the Israeli Cabinet originally decided to dismantle the outposts last March [JURIST report] as part of the "Road Map" to peace with Palestine, but Sharon delayed the removal of the outposts to avoid backlash from Israelis already upset with the Gaza evacuation. Settlers, who contributed to the delay with legal action over the past year, plan to appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court [official website] to retain the outposts, which a government study last year also branded illegal [JURIST report]. Olmert wants to immediately begin removing outposts from the West Bank city of Hebron, where security forces arrested settlers and supporters on Tuesday. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

"The Beatles" legally dissolved

On December 31, 1970, Paul McCartney filed suit in London to dissolve the Beatles' artistic and commercial partnership. Read a detailed legal analysis of Paul's case against John, George and Ringo.

West Virginia created

On December 31, 1862, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation, creating the State of West Virginia. The Bill split the western section of Virginia from the rest of the state, which had left the Union to join the Confederacy. However, West Virginia was not granted formal statehood until this legislation took effect on June 20, 1863 after a statewide referendum approved the measure. Read a history of the creation of West Virginia.