Maldives president signs new constitution increasing judicial independence News
Maldives president signs new constitution increasing judicial independence

[JURIST] Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom [official websites] on Thursday signed into law [press release] a new constitution [PDF text] for the country, providing for multi-party elections, an independent judiciary, and a more powerful legislature. The constitution also provides a number of enumerated rights for citizens and establishes several special commissions on issues including human rights and corruption. The document was drafted by the People’s Special Majlis [official website], which was convened for the purpose in 2004 and was dissolved by the President [press release] after Thursday's signing ceremony. The country's first competitive presidential elections since 1978 will be held in October and Gayoom has announced he will run for a seventh term. Reuters has more. Miadhu News has local coverage.

The Maldives constitution was last modified [PDF text] in 1998, and Thursday's changes came in response to international criticism [AI report, PDF] of 2003 government actions against protesters of prison conditions [AI reports] in the country. The government asserts that it has already instituted a number of other reforms [government report, PDF] in recent years.

THIS DAY @ LAW

No lynchings reported in US for first time

On December 30, 1952, the Tuskegee Institute reported that 1952 was the first year of no lynchings of African Americans in the United States in the 71 years it had kept records. Learn more about lynching and listen to Billie Holiday's jazz recording of the 1938 protest song Strange Fruit.

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