Stories about Law from August, 2008
Hungary: Reaction to the Russian-Georgian Conflict
“Hungary's reaction to the Russian-Georgian conflict is in line with that of the European Union,” Hungarian Spectrum reports. “Given Hungary's energy needs and its reliance on Russian gas and oil the country can't afford to lash out against Russia.”
Brazil: Church demands justice do ban sexy pic on Playboy
Milton Ribeiro [pt] reports that the Brazilian Justice has banned a photo in August edition of Playboy, after complains from the Catholic Church because the model was holding a crucifix. “After all, the Catholic Church, who owns the fetish, felt offended and it is now going after the girl and...
Russia, Georgia: Unilateral Recognition of Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's Independence
Russia has formally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia today. Below are some of the initial reactions from LiveJournal's Cyrillic sector.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Rapist at Large
The women of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are under siege by a serial rapist and Abeni is “very uneasy about the whole scenario…I have now developed an intense hatred for the rapist or rapists who have turned women into prisoners in their own homes. Is it too much to...
China: Cop-killer online hero case goes on trial
Yang Jia's case goes to trial today, after having been postponed for the Olympics. Previously he had been harmonized after having been heroized by many online for walking into a police station in Shanghai last month and killing six cops after what was accepted was an earlier case of injustice...
Cambodia: Sex workers, 100% condom use and human rights
Cambodian sex workers have taken to the internet to make their plight and fight for human rights better known. In Cambodia, a 100% condom use law which states that sexual exchanges with clients have to take place with condoms on sounds like a good idea, but it has been turned against those it is supposed to protect, by being used as a means to imprison sex workers, using the fact that they carry condoms with them as evidence for them doing sex work.
Bermuda: War on Drugs
The Bermudian government has plans to introduce a SWAT team to tackle the war on drugs, but 21 Square thinks that “cracking down on supply without solving the problem of demand creates a vicious cycle that will only make crime in Bermuda more violent than it already is.” Vexed Bermoothes...
Anguilla, Bermuda: Parental Liability
Bermuda considers passing legislation that would make parents liable for the criminal behaviour of their children. Corruption-free Anguilla thinks the idea has merit: “It is what happens or does not happen in the home that decides whether or not a child grows up to be a pillar of society or...
Fiji: Draft People's Charter launched
Heavy police presence accompanied the launching of Fiji's Draft People's Charter, which among other things will reform the country's electoral system. It is also alleged that villagers were paid to attend the launching.
Mexico: Protests About Insecurity in the Capital
A large crowd assembled outside the National Palace in Mexico City to protest the insecurity in the city. Daniel Hernandez of Intersections [es] was present and writes that “they were protesting the fact that it took the death of the son of a wealthy and connected figure for political leaders...
Taiwan: Taichung shooting incident
Michael Turton reports on an incident where a foreigner was shot in Taichung.
China: Re-education through labor sentence for two elderly protesters
The closing ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics draws near, and while Chinese media are unable to report on scandals such as this that have dominated foreign media headlines, it is those foreign media reports which have given Chinese netizens plenty to chew over.
Bangladesh: Anti-corruption drive halted
An Ordinary Citizen reports that the much discussed corruption cases against the politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats in Bangladesh have been halted at the corridor of the High Court.
China: Where the world's e-waste goes
Academic-blogger Bill Chameides at The Huffington Post looks at the issue of e-waste in China, noting that 70% of it worldwide ends up there: “Even though the Chinese government has banned the importation of e-waste, the stuff continues to find its way in.”
Cuba: Corrupt Survival
“At his young age, he already understands that it doesn’t matter how many times you cross the line of illegality as long as you keep applauding. For him, if they let him continue to line his pockets, socialism could well be eternal”: Yoani Sanchez blogs about corruption and its strong...
St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Barbados: UWI Sued
A Rhodes Scholar sues the University of the West Indies for failing to give him first-class honours and Abeni from St. Vincent and the Grenadines says: “I really do not know what to make of this.”
China: Free Wu Dianyuan And Wang Xiuying!
On the arrest and sentence to one year of re-education labor for housing activists Wu Dianyuan and Wang Xiuying, aged 79 and 77 respectively, David Seth at Daily Kos writes: We need to call on China to free Wu Dianyuan And Wang Xiuying, and everyone else they are holding to...
Barbados, Antigua: Peter Pays for Paul?
Barbados Free Press is not convinced that the CARICOM arrangement is beneficial, referring to an article about the recent double-murder in Antigua to make their point: “The ‘Caribbean Brand’ for tourism…was a disastrous policy created…as part of the effort to prop up the pretense and phony benefits of CARICOM. According...
Grenada, Anguilla: Integrity Legislation
The new Grenadian Prime Minister announces his intent to “set up an Integrity Commission to ensure integrity in public life”. Corruption-free Anguilla comments: “If he is really serious, then one of the most corrupt, failed states in the West Indies may yet be turned around. If it is just empty...
China: Checking up on Olympics uncensorship
A post from sw at the OpenNet Initiative blog looks at results of tests carried out during the first week of the Olympics and finds that while in fact not many websites have been unblocked for the Games, those that are can now be accessed all throughout Beijing and possibly...
China: The Beijing Bay
Via TorrentFreak, on the IOC's takedown notice sent not to p2p network The Pirate Bay which was hosting torrents of Olympics footage, but Sweden's Minister of Justice: “We were going to ignore the Olympics, but now we’re loading our cannons. Our weapons of mass distribution are pointed towards China.”
