· June, 2011

Stories about Law from June, 2011

China: Sudanese President Bashir's Visit Raises Eyebrows

  30 June 2011

In the same week that China voices support for an International Criminal Court warrant out on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, it rolls out the red carpet for another ICC fugitive, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. Online, it's a much different story.

Jamaica: Cabinet Reshuffle

  30 June 2011

Girl With a Purpose has the details about the Prime Minister's Cabinet reshuffle, one of the highlights being that “the post of Attorney General and Minister of Justice has been separated, as recommended by the Manatt/Coke Commissioners.”

Egypt: Khaled Saeed Murder Trial Postponed

Khaled Saeed, a young man from Alexandria allegedly killed at the hands of policemen in June, has been an icon of the Egyptian revolution. His murder fueled discontent among young Egyptians in the weeks leading to the revolution after images of his battered body went viral. The policemen accused of killing him stood trial today. Following are some reactions following the postponement of the case until September 24.

India: Innocents Being Killed By BSF

  30 June 2011

Anshul Tewari at Youth Ki Awaaz highlights some examples which shows that innocents are being killed at will by Indian Border Security Force. The blogger opines that the Ministry of Home Affairs should intervene.

Jamaica: Child Labour

  29 June 2011

When it comes to Child Labour, says Jamaica Woman Tongue, “traditional practices often clash with the law”, adding that “one of the most violent forms of abuse of children is enforced transactional sex in the home, a hush-hush subject in Jamaica.”

Republic of Congo: Widows Demand Their Rights

  29 June 2011

minguabiango [fr] writes on congo-liberty about the cruel treatments and deprivation of their rights suffered by some widows in the Republic of Congo:  “In Congo-Brazzaville, some widows are daring to prosecute their in‑laws and obtain compensation, sometimes with help from NGOs.  They set a good example for all those women...

Haiti: Helping to Stop Human Trafficking

  28 June 2011

Stanley Lucas blogs about how the effects of 2010's earthquake have affected Haiti's “significant child trafficking problem” and offers a few suggestions to “guide government officials and organizations working on anti-trafficking initiatives.”

Trinidad & Tobago: Progress for Gay Rights

  27 June 2011

gspott says that the President's assention to the Data Protection Act is “of great significance to gay, lesbian and bisexual communities in Trinidad & Tobago” as it “provides heightened protections for ‘sensitive personal information’, which is defined to include one’s ‘sexual orientation or sexual life’.”

Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica: Buju's Prison

  27 June 2011

“Buju Banton was the one who helped us figure it out. He danced between social commentary and slackness. He transformed himself into a thoughtful prophet”: Attilah Springer says it's “a nightmare when you wake up to realise that the one to offer a place for escape is in prison too.”

Jamaica: Call for End to Anti-Gay Violence

  27 June 2011

Labrish remembers the life and work of her cousin, who was murdered on account of “his outspoken efforts to bring about an end to homophobia in Jamaica”, saying: “It is beyond time that the appalling homophobia that is a blight on certain parts of Jamaican society come to an end.”

China: Lawyers for Murder Suspects Detained Under Controversial Law

  26 June 2011

After four defense attorneys were recently detained for challenging confessions to a murder in Guangxi province which their clients are presumed to have given following the use of police force, a legal dream team has assembled and flown in from across the country to defend their colleagues.

China: Update on the Independent Candidate Campaigns

  26 June 2011

The spokesperson for the Commission on Legislative Affairs of the National People’s Congress stated [zh] on June 8 2011 that no legal basis exists for independent candidacy in grassroots people's congress elections. To be a candidate in grassroots representative elections, he said, one has to first be endorsed by a...

Jamaica: Buju Gets 10 Years

  24 June 2011

As news spreads that reggae icon Buju Banton has been sentenced to 10 years in jail on drug charges, Jamaica Salt comments: “10 years is indeed a long time…but he’s reported to have took the news calmly and he was lucky in a way as the judge threw out an...

Balkans: Ratko Mladic and Justice

Posts on the capture of Ratko Mladic and justice being done (or not) – by Katharine Engelhart and Ozren Jungic at OpenDemocracy.net, by Blogging Balkanistan/The Daily Seyahatname, and by Marko Attila Hoare and David Pettigrew at Greater Surbiton.

Croatia: EU Membership Approval

On June 10, 2011, Croatia was cleared to become the newest member state of the European Union. There is still a long road before Croatians are officially a part of the EU, and the timing at the moment is, at best, precarious, creating many skeptics. Miquel Hudin reports.