Stories about Law from April, 2010
Trinidad & Tobago: Election Issues
Both KnowTnT.com and Trinidad diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch comment on “the resignation of High Court judge Herbert Volney and early retirement of Acting Senior Magistrate Ramraj Harripersad in order to run for political office in this year's General Election as potential UNC candidates.”
China: The un-natural death in the Chinese detention center
Damon from interlocals published a video on the issue of un-natural death in the Chinese detention center.
Russia: More Commentary on Sex Video Scandal
A Good Treaty comments – here and here – on the sex video scandals involving members of the Russian opposition, notes an increase in blog traffic (“nothing brings visitors to a website like the promise of nudity”), and responds to Julia Ioffe‘s Foreign Policy piece on the scandal.
Ukraine: Chaotic Ratification of the Gas-for-Fleet Deal
Below is some of the Anglophone blog commentary on the ratification of the Ukrainian-Russian gas-for-fleet deal, which took place in a chaotic environment on April 27 in Kyiv. Among other things, security guards were forced to employ two umbrellas to shelter the parliament speaker from the eggs hurled at him by opposition members.
Nigeria: Forced marriages and the age of consent
Sokari discusses forced marriages and the age of consent after the former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Sani Yerima marries a 13 year old Egyptian girl for whom he paid her family $100,000.
Brazil: Arrest of Indigenous leader increases tension in Bahia
On March 10th, unidentified armed police invaded Serra do Padeiro, a Tupinambá indigenous village, and arrested their leader and later his brother. They are still in prison and their detentions have increased the tension in the region.
France: Reactions over Niqab and Polygamy Controversy
Lies Hebbadj is currently making the headline news because his wife was fined for driving while wearing a niqab and because he said himself that he has three more households. His statement led him to be suspected of polygamy and therefore possiblyof French gaming welfare laws. Although many bloggers, including Rokhaya...
Barbados: Parliament Action
Barbados Underground reports on the goings-on in the country's Parliament, saying: “The display of disorder…this morning would have saddened all who witnessed or heard it.”
Ukraine: Russian Black Sea Fleet Stays On in Crimea
236 Ukrainian MPs (UKR) have voted in favor of the ratification of an agreement allowing the Russian Black Sea Fleet to extend its stay in Crimea until 2042. Ukrainska Pravda posts a selection of photos and video (UKR) of fighting and egg-throwing inside the parliament building this morning. On Twitter,...
Trinidad & Tobago: Bedtime Stories
Tattoo couldn't care less about the domestic practices of the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister's wife, saying that the talk on the election platforms has nothing to do with “any of the pressing issues that have been raised in the campaign thus far such as: governance, corruption and legal reform.”
French West Indies, Haiti: Immigration then & now
Indiscrétions tells the story [Fr] of a Haitian girl deported from Guadeloupe by the French customs authority, for allegedly presenting fake identity documents at the airport, while Gwakafwika announces [Fr Cr] a conference about Guadeloupean immigration in Haiti from the 1800s to the 1900s.
Martinique, Guadeloupe: Celebrating two great women
Imaniyé pays homage [Fr] to Martinican-born actress, Jenny Alpha, who, at nearly 100 years of age, is the oldest French artist alive, while CaribCreoleNews announces [Fr] two events in memory of Guadeloupe's first female lawyer, communist and feminist activist, Gerty Archimede, who would have turned 101 this year.
Bulgaria: Appeals for Help in Arevik Shmavonyan's Deportation Case
Svetla Encheva (BUL), Maya Markova of Maya's Corner and Legal Clinic for Refugees and Immigrants, a Bulgarian NGO, appeal for help in the case of Arevik Shmavonyan, a pregnant Armenian citizen who is awaiting deportation from Bulgaria at the Special Centre for Temporary Accommodation of Foreigners in Busmantsi (described by...
Trinidad & Tobago: Magistrates called to Measure
Jumbie's Watch is “aghast at the audacity of the judiciary in Trinidad and Tobago.”
Barbados: Cyberbullying
Barbados’ Keltruth Corp. is “deeply saddened by the personal attacks made on Johan Bjerkhamn after the most tragic death of his son” and advocates for a cessation of the cyberbullying.
Russia, Ukraine: Gas/Black Sea Fleet Deal
Leopolis comments – here and here – on the gas/Black Sea Fleet lease extension deal signed by the Russian and Ukrainian presidents on April 21.
Russia, Poland: The Truth About Katyn
Steve Bandera of Kyiv Scoop writes about Andrzej Wajda’s 2007 film Katyń, which has been shown twice in Russia in the past few weeks (reactions from the Russian blogosphere are here) – and comments that the truth about the massacre is “only coming out now in the former Soviet Union...
Russia: “The Sirens of Russia”
A Good Treaty posts a YouTube video of a Moscow driver's encounter with a high-ranking official's BMW and explains why “the special road status of the elite is a sore point with the Russian public.” (A few more related links in Russian are here.)
US, Russia: Views on START
A Good Treaty reviews shortcomings and advantages of the newly-signed US-Russia Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), as perceived by various political groups in the United States and Russia.
Sri Lanka: Police Brutality
Chitrangi’s Weblog shares a story of police brutality on a 32 years old worker of the Sri Lanka Transport Board in Panadura.
Barbados: Child Dies in Shooting
Keltruth Corp. reports on a shooting in Barbados which left an eleven-year-old dead, prompting Allegiance to wonder if Barbadians are being treated equally under the law.
