Stories about Law from November, 2012
Nairobi Pulls Together During Matatu Vehicle Strike
On Thursday 29 November, most Nairobi city dwellers woke up to the harsh reality of the public service transport system going rogue. The Kenyan public service vehicles popularly known as matatus were demonstrating against the latest Traffic Amendment 2012.
‘Industrial Scale’ Hunting of Migratory Amur Falcons in Nagaland, India
Each year thousands of migratory Amur falcons are hunted by locals in the Indian State of Nagaland during their passage through that region. On November 1, 2012, Shashank Dalvi and Ramki Sreenivasan first documented the massacre at ‘Conservation India‘ site and the news went viral on social media which resulted in a ban on capturing or killing of the raptors.
Chinese Shareholders Trapped in the Stock Market's “Fraud”
As China's economy has been growing, its stock keeps sinking. Why is that so? Many shareholders blame corruption and economic experts call for finance regulation reform.
Hundreds Rally Against Anti-Semitism in Hungary
On Nov. 27, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Parliament in Budapest (photos) to protest a Hungarian far-right MP's call “for Jews to be registered on lists as...
China's “Great Global Thinkers” for 2012
Samuel Wade from China Digital Times introduced the six Chinese civil society leaders – Chen Guangcheng, Ai Weiwei, Yu Jianrong, Ma Jun, Wang Jisi, Kai-fu Lee – who are listed...
China: Model Sentenced for Posing in a Police Uniform
A model who posted a risque photo of herself in a police uniform was sentenced to 9 months in jail and one-year probation upon court review. Beijing Cream believes that...
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Senegal Scam
When the top cop gets duped by an internet scam you don't know if to laugh or cry. Abeni thinks the Police Commissioner “should have done the honourable thing and...
Ukrainian Football Fans Rally in Support of the Pavlichenko Family
Dmytro Pavlichenko and his son Serhiy, fans of FC Dynamo Kyiv, were found guilty of the murder of a Kyiv judge. In the past few months, Ukrainian and European football fans have organized a series of unprecedented actions in their support.
Ecuador Commemorates the International Day Against Gender Violence
Ecuador commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with multiple cultural events. Ecuadorian netizens also reflected on the reality that many women live through in the country.
Are Japan's Upcoming Elections Unconstitutional?
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolved the lower house of the Japanese parliament on November 16, 2012 and set general elections for December 16, 2012. However, according to a group of lawyers, the value of one vote varies in constituencies and because of this vote value disparity, these planned elections are actually unconstitutional.
Deadly Factory Fire in Bangladesh Raises Questions of Worker Exploitation
The recent tragic fire at a clothing factory building in Ashulia, near Bangladesh Capital Dhaka, that killed more than 110 garments workers, has raised many questions. Bangladeshis are expressing their anger on poor working conditions and exploitation of workers.
Waving Banners “Help Us Please,” Russian Prisoners Revolt
Over the weekend at a prison in Kopeysk, roughly 250 inmates began a protest on the roof of a prison building, waving banners that begged "help us please," while complaining of torture and extortion.
Legal Framework in Madagascar Not Adequate for Size of New Gold Mines
Total Bemolanga Watch reports that [fr] awyers in Madagascar estimated that the legal framework of the mining code was not conceived to apply to the shear size of the new gold...
Mumbai Terrorist Executed in India, But Will it Bring Peace?
On November 21, Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, a Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba militant and the only terrorist to be captured alive following the 2008 attack on Mumbai, was executed. His hanging rekindled the debate about the death penalty in India and whether it was likely to deter future terrorist attacks.
Brazil: More Dialogue Needed to Solve the Conflict of the Guarani-Kaiowá
The Youtube account A Luta Guarani released a video interview [pt] with the Guarani-Kaiowá anthropologist Tonico Benites. He comments on the attacks by farmers of the state of Mato Grosso do...
United Russia MPs Object to Online Satire
United Russia MPs threaten to take humorous website to court for libel. The outrage, however, was likely provoked by an internet tabloid.
Saudi Judge: “What applies to the ruler, does not apply to those he rules”
Earlier today, Riyadh Criminal Court held the sixth hearing session of the ongoing trial of the two prominent human rights activists Mohammad Al-Qahtani and Abdullah Al-Hamid. Today's session was solely a debate between the judge and the defendants, and the public prosecutor did not talk at all. Sixty-five people attended the session, in which the judge argued: "What applies to the ruler, does not apply to those he rules."
Doubting the Efficiency of EU Funding for Slovakia
The European Commission has unveiled plans for priorities in funding Slovakia during the years of 2014-2020. One of the problems is that the EU money is often used for unnecessary and unproductive initiatives and projects. Tibor Blazko translates netizens' views on the issue.
China: Re-education through Labour System Under Fire
A number of state-controlled media outlets ran articles criticizing the process of re-education through the labour system. Some netizens are speculating that this may be a sign of impending legal...
Why Vote-Rigging in Ukraine's Elections Shouldn't Go Unpunished
Ukraine’s recent parliamentary elections were marred by allegations of vote-rigging and other forms of corruption. Veronica Khokhlova reveals some of the criticisms leveled by Ukrainian civil society against the elections, and argues that this may be the time for the opposition to rally around a common cause.
Malaysian Residents Oppose Rare Earths Refinery
Malaysia is set to build the world's largest rare earths refinery after the High Court rejected petitions opposing the project. In response environment groups, residents, and concerned citizens have vowed to step up protests against the plant.
