Stories about Law from May, 2009
Bermuda: Gang Violence
“I find the gang violence and drive-by shootings this weekend too depressing to write about. WTF Bermuda?”: Still, Vexed Bermoothes manages to throw out some constructive ideas.
Maldives: Controversy Regarding Presidential Arrest Warrant
Mohamed Nasheed discusses the recent decision by the President of Maldives to arrest certain politicians in the country. Some Maldivians were disappointed by this decision and there are unconfirmed reports that former President and Opposition Leader Mamoun Abdul Gayoom may be on the list.
Bahrain: Just Six Months For Manslaughter?
Bahraini blogger Yagoob is frustrated about the light sentences handed down in Bahraini courts.
China: Should journalists be tried for bribery?
David Bandurski from China Media Project looked into into the trial of Fu Hua, a journalist, who was charged with bribery for accepting 5,000 yuan in exchange for a list of sources for a story about construction problems at an airport in Jilin Province. As David Bandurski pointed out the...
Myanmar: Junta leader is “mentally insane”
For conducting an “unjustified trial” against Myanmar opposition leader Daw Aung San Su Kyi, a blogger uploads an article which caricatures the junta leader Than Shwe as “mentally insane.” Suu Kyi is on trial for allegedly violating the terms of her house arrest.
Guyana, Barbados: Illegal Immigration
When it comes to the issue of illegal immigrants in Barbados, Guyanese blogger Imran Khan says: “What is wong is wrong”, adding in another post: “I’m interested in learning what, specifically, President Bharrat Jagdeo is accusing the Barbadians of being ‘un-CARICOM-like’ about?”
Sudan: Government requires journalists to be registered
The Sudanese government wants journalists to be registered; “The Sudanese government started a move last week to issue a law on journalist to require them to register themselves with the government media regulator so that the government would monitor them if they misuse there power as journalist.”
China: New development on Deng Yujiao's murder case
A concern group has been formed in Beijing to give support to Deng Yujiao, a nail beautician who stabbed a government official when defending herself from sexual assault. Joe Martinsen from DANWEI translated two statements, one by the government, one by Deng's lawyers, which gave very different story of Deng's...
Russia: North Ossetia's Superstitious Law Enforcement
North Ossetian journalist Liza Valieva writes about an incident that could have prompted a lighthearted reaction had it not occurred in North Ossetia, an autonomous republic in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation, whose people have seen much violence since the collapse of the Soviet Union, including the Sept. 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis.
Brazil: Petroleum, elections and poverty matters
Discussions of an investigation into the nation's biggest state-owned company and its possible political motivation fill the Brazilian blogosphere. This debate takes place in a Brazilian society which sees 'black gold' as a solution to the country's economic and energy problems.
Brazil: Fighting against cyber surveillance
Brazilian cyberactivists are again taking action against online surveillance in defence of the netcitizen rights. The Mega Não! protest has been triggered by the controversial digital crimes bill which aims to control cybercrime, raising serious issues on digital rights management and the free use of digital devices. There will be...
Ukraine: Russian Ads; PM's Hairdo; Crimea
Russian ads in Ukraine; Yulia Tymoshenko's hairdo; labor minister's text message interaction with her daughter regarding a government job offer for her father; the Crimean Tatars’ situation and the mess in the Crimean capital's city council – at Ukrainiana.
Russia: Foreign Pirates on Torrents
Profy reports that “more than a half (52%) of all the visitors to all the web resources in the Russian internet segment are foreign pirates who rush to the local web resources looking for free content that is easily available on the popular Russian torrents.”
Egyptian Tycoon Sentenced to Death
Egyptians witnessed the most unexpected verdict in the history of their judiciary system: Billionaire Hesham Talaat Moustafa, along with his hired hitman Mohsen El Sokary, have both been sentenced to death for their roles in the murder of Lebanese singer Suzanne Tameem. The gruesome murder took place in Dubai, UAE, and Thursday's sentence was met with shock and bewilderment as the blogosphere comes to terms with the verdict.
Russia: Eurovision Roundup
In Moscow, Eurovision coincided with this year's Night of Museums (IZO) – and with an attempt to hold a gay pride parade, which was interrupted by riot police (Robert Amsterdam's Blog). Some more thoughts on this year's contest – at Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog.
Zambia: Final thoughts on HIV discrimination case
The postponement of HIV discrimination case in Zambia is surprising: So the only reason for the postponement was that the lawyer assigned to the case from the Attorney-General’s office was unable to come to Livingstone from Lusaka for the trial today. A few reasons why I find this surprising. First,...
Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago:
Barbados-based B.C. Pires publishes a column by the journalist who exposed alleged plagiarism by the former Chairperson of Trinidad and Tobago's now-defunct Integrity Commission.
Saudi Arabia: Beheadings in the Kingdom
Stilettos in the Sand, from Saudi Arabia, discusses beheading in the kingdom and notes: “The crimes punishable by beheading, or execution, are: rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking.”
India: Bowing Down Before Your Wife
Sumanth at Desicritics reports of a verdict of the Indian Supreme Court on a divorce case, which asked the plaintiff to “bow down before his wife's ‘diktat'”. The post containing Sumanth's reaction to the verdict sparks a heated debate in the comments section.
Jamaica: Discussing Human Rights
“Traditionally, the discussion of human rights in Jamaica has been conducted in what may be considered ‘the privileged voice'”: Raw Politics…Jamaica Style! questions the value of this norm.
Jamaica: The Ananda Alert
Jamaica's Yardflex.com finally sees “a glimmer of light on the horizon when it comes to the protection of our children.”
