India president approves anti-rape bill News
India president approves anti-rape bill
Photo source or description

[JURIST] Indian President Pranab Mukherjee [official website] on Wednesday signed into law an anti-rape bill [text, PDF] providing for life terms and death sentences for offenders in addition to punishment for acid attacks, stalking and voyeurism. The bill also provides that all hospitals shall immediately provide medical assistance free of cost to the victims of acid attack or rape. Portions of the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Indian Evidence Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act [text, PDF] are revised by the bill. The bill was approved [JURIST report] by India’s Parliament last month.

There has been a growing outcry for harsher penalties and reform in technical aspects India’s law since the rape and subsequent death [BBC reports] of a medical student in December. Indian authorities charged six suspects [JURIST report] with murder after the death of the gang rape victim. Also in December Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [official profile] called for peace [JURIST report] after a protest over sexual violence resulted in a clash between protesters and police. India created a committee in January that recommended the new legal reforms [JURIST report].

THIS DAY @ LAW

Justice Department brings anit-trust action against AT&T

On November 20, 1974, the Department of Justice filed its final anti-trust suit against AT&T. United States v. AT&T was ultimately settled out of court with an agreement that the corporation would break up its monopoly on phone service throughout the country.

Nuremberg war crimes trials began

On November 20, 1945, the war crimes trials of Nazi World War II leaders began in the German city of Nuremberg. Review the Nuremberg Tribunal's Charter and the verdicts and sentences handed down on major war figures.

Winston Churchill born

On November 20, 1874, Sir Winston Churchill was born in Woodstock, England. He would go on to lead the United Kingdom as Prime Minister through World War II. Toward the end of the war, Churchill worked with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to craft the treaties and accords that have defined the world since WWII. A 2002 poll by the BBC declared Churchill the Greatest Briton of all time.

New Jersey ratifies Bill of Rights

New Jersey ratified the Bill of Rights, a set of 10 fundamental amendments to the US Constitution, on November 20, 1789, becoming the first state to do so. The state also ratified an amendment on federal representation which ultimately failed. Additionally, New Jersey rejected an amendment on congressional salaries, which would eventually become the 27th Amendment more than 200 years later. Read the articles ratified by New Jersey.