Stories about Law from February, 2009
Colombia: Restrictions and Curfew in Medellín
In Medellín, Colombia, Juan David Escobar is critical about the new restrictions for male passengers on motorcycles and a city-wide curfew for bars outside of designated areas [es]. He points out that in spite of what the government has been saying over the past 10 years about the arrival of...
Bangladesh: Massacre Cannot be Justified
“What do you call it when a group of ‘disgruntled’ BDR soldiers [Bangladesh border guards] started their expression of grievances by open-firing on the commissioned army officers? Mutiny? Rebellion? Revolt? Uprising?” asks Kotha-Chilo. The blogger concludes the post with: “BDR soldiers – now I feel ‘disgruntled’ at your massacre. I...
Bangladesh: Mutiny Is Over, But Question Remains
Yesterday it was a tensed day in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The 33-hour long mutiny and siege by aggrieved lower rank officers of paramilitary forces BDR ended as they surrendered their arms in the evening at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters. According to news paper reports seventeen BDR members...
Pakistan: Déjà vu 1971?
“Zardari is doing exactly what Bhutto had done in 1971 – eliminating all challenges that may come in his way to become another “Civilian Martial Law Administrator”, comments Teeth Maestro while discussing the recent “verdict that refuses to give the democratically elected government its right to function.”
Guadeloupe: Police “Blunder”?
Amidst the confusion of the month-long social conflict in Guadeloupe, two nights of violence took place on February 17th and 18th. Apart from acts of arson in shops and numerous burning roadblocks, the climax of these violent clashes has been the as-yet unsolved assassination of a man. Trikess, who blogs...
Saudi Arabia: First Internet Crime Sentence Upheld
Crossroads Arabia writes that the verdict has been upheld of the first Internet crime brought to court in Saudi Arabia, involving a man who hacked into a woman’s e-mail and tried to blackmail her with what he found there.
Pakistan: Sharif Brothers Declared Ineligible For Election Whilst Governor Rule Imposed
The Supreme Court after prolonged hearing of Sharif brothers’ electoral eligibility case, finally declared today that the two leaders of Pakistan's most prominent political party Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz group have been deemed ineligible to have contested the elections a year back on 18th February 2008. Although it must...
Singapore: Copyright Act and blogosphere
ringisei is worried that the Copyright Act is being used to “strangle” the blogosphere in Singapore.
Singapore: Amended law to allow filming of “factual” political rallies
Individuals who use their mobile phones to film illegal rallies can be arrested under an amended law in Singapore. Live film recordings of political events are allowed but the events being filmed must first be held in accordance with the law.
Pakistan: Corrupt Traffic Police in Karachi
Kashif Aziz at Chowrangi posts a video showing corruption of traffic police in Karachi.
Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago: Injunction
Barbados Free Press finds it “interesting” that the Trinidad and Tobago Central Bank and the Colonial Life Insurance Company Limited (CLICO) have been granted an injunction against CL Financial.
Cuba: BTTR Four
Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense wants us to remember “the BTTR Four”.
Jordan: Smoking Ban?
Jordan has announced a ban on smoking in public places, beginning March 1. “In this kind of country, I’m forced to wonder what exactly were lawmakers smoking when they dreamt up this policy?” remarks The Black Iris.
Colombia: Another Illegal Wire Tapping Scandal
The news magazine Semana recently revealed that the "secret police" of Colombia had been illegally wire tapping politicians, journalists, magistrates, intellectuals and even government officials close to President Álvaro Uribe. Even worse, some of these agents allegedly had been “selling to the highest bidder” the information obtained to guerrillas, paramilitaries or drug traffickers. Colombian bloggers react to these revelations.
Malaysia: Operation Valentine
Malaysian police arrested 26 unmarried Muslim couples in hotel rooms during Operation Valentine to curb premarital sex. The crime of “khalwat,” or “close proximity” forbids unmarried Muslims to meet behind closed doors.
Mexico: War on Drugs Becoming Weirder
Mexico's war on drugs is getting “so surreal, absurd, and downright twisted” according to Daniel Hernandez of Intersections. He cites some recent incidents, including the claim that the drug cartels are organizing street protests against the Mexican military.
Chile: Parking Spaces for Disabled Drivers
Mario Carrasco Berrios describes some of his recent experiences in the city of Talca, Chile with the lack of parking spaces for disabled drivers [es], as well as the problem of drivers who are not disabled that take these reserved spaces.
India: Court Ruling Against Bloggers
Kafila informs about a recent Supreme Court ruling in India which states that “a person who starts a blog/community page cannot claim that it was a community page and not meant for public consumption.” That means the owner will be liable for all the collaborative contents and comments in that...
Armenia: Illegal hunting in nature reserve exposed
Illustrating how online activism could make a difference in Armenia, a YouTube video of a chief forester hunting wild boar at the Khosrov nature reserve has resulted in his dismissal.
Russia: Alleged Racist Murder in Moscow
Moscow Through Brown Eyes translates LJ user plucer‘s post (RUS) about an alleged racist murder in Moscow.
Pakistan: Honor Killings And Islam
Imam Zaid Shakir at GOATMILK: An intellectual playground reminds us that “the practice of honor killings has absolutely no sanction in the Qur’an, the Prophetic practice, or in the evolved systems of Islamic law.”