· April, 2013

Stories about Law from April, 2013

Marijuana in China

  29 April 2013

Chengdu Living has an interesting post on the potential disappearance of relatively free weed smoking atmosphere in China as the police has recently started to crack down on Marijuana trade.

Impartial Justice Wanted in Côte d'Ivoire

  28 April 2013

Human Rights Watch reports that there is still work to do to achieve impartial justice in the post-2010-11 elections crisis in Côte d'Ivoire: The ICC’s one-sided approach has legitimized the same approach by Ivorian judicial authorities and undermined perceptions of the ICC’s impartiality.  

Red Cross’ China Scandal – This Time About Sex

  27 April 2013

While Chinese people still remember Red Cross China's corruption scandal during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, a new scandal has exposed, this time it also involves Guo Meimei, a then “manager at China Red Cross”, showed off her fancy sports cars and luxury handbags on Sina Weibo in 2011. This time...

RSF Addresses the Situation at Ukraine's TVi Channel

  27 April 2013

On April 26, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued a statement [en; fr; uk – .pdf] on the situation at the Ukrainian TV station TVi: Reporters Without Borders condemns the sudden change of management at the opposition TV station TVi, announced three days ago, and is disturbed to learn that ensuing...

Indigenous People Occupy Brazil's Congress Over Land Rights Bill

  26 April 2013

The occupation of a plenary session of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies by around 300 indigenous people, on April 16, have caught congressmen by surprise and have put the spotlight on proposed amendment to the Constitution number 215, which transfers the power to demarcate indigenous land from the Executive to the Legislative power.

Nobel Laureates: On with Ríos Montt Trial

  26 April 2013

“If this case does not move forward, survivors of Guatemala’s genocide are being victimized all over again,” says Nobel Peace laureate Jody Williams, co-founder of the Nobel Women’s Initiative. “They have taken a huge risk in testifying, and many have been harassed, intimidated and threatened. To annul the case would...

Hungarian Students Blog on Freedom of Information Requests

  25 April 2013

Hungarian grassroots student union Hallgatói Hálózat (Student Network) started a blog that curates freedom of information requests related to higher education. The blog, titled Transparent Education [hu], is using the Hungarian public freedom of information request service KiMitTud [hu] to track down the allegations of misuse of funds by university student governments. The blog's author...

Saudi Judge Bars Women from Trial of Human Rights Activist

  24 April 2013

Just ten days after the first Saudi woman was granted a lawyer's license, a judge prohibited women from attending the public trial of activist Dr. Abdualkareem al-Khudar, founding member of the Kingdom's defiant leading human rights organisation, the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA).

Japan's Next Election Campaign will be Tweeted, Emailed and Blogged

  23 April 2013

Japan has approved a bill that will allow political candidates to tweet and blog during their election campaigns. Up until recently Japanese electoral candidates had to cautiously navigate their Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and blogs to avoid breaking the country's strict election laws which banned all online political activity.

Thailand Police Shame Drunk Drivers on Facebook

  23 April 2013

Bangkok's Metropolitan Police has posted photos of drunk drivers on the public Facebook page of its deputy chief. The move is an apparent effort to show the seriousness of the police in apprehending drunk drivers but some are skeptical about its effectiveness and even its legality.

Legal Checklist For Doing Business in China

  23 April 2013

Is Your Company Bribing Anyone?  The United States vigorously enforces its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which penalizes improper payments to foreign officials by US companies.  In certain situations, US companies can be liable under the FCPA for payments made by their Chinese partner.  Canada and most European countries have...

“Manipulative” Coverage of Macedonia's Media Law

  22 April 2013

“Practice indicates that responsible and ethical journalism is never the result of state legislation and regulations, but of the voluntary compliance with the code created by the media community itself.” This statement from the Guide on Ethics in Journalism [mk] opens Žarko Trajanoski's analysis [en] of the “manipulations” by Macedonia's...