Stories about Law from September, 2007
Ukraine: Serpent Island Election
Ukraine List will be observing the Sept. 30 parliamentary election on Serpent Island, population “maybe around 50-100 people depending upon how you count them and how long they stay.”
Russia: FSB Officer's Letter
A Step At A Time links to Ingushetia.ru‘s translation of a document “said to be a declaration by an officer of the FSB directorate for Stavropol province, confessing to his involvement in the organized abduction and killing of ethnic Chechens and Ingushes by the security forces.” A Russian-language discussion of...
Bangladesh: Technology and Harassment
Unheard Voices on the need for stricter laws to deal with technology abuse and the invasion of privacy.
Trinidad & Tobago: Open Letter
Taran Rampersad receives a letter from Trinidad and Tobago's Minister of Planning and Development – and writes one back.
Poland: Idiot's Guide to Polish Elections
The beatroot explains the Polish election to the masses: “Being an idiot is not a disadvantage when trying to understand the Polish political scene. In fact, it may be an advantage.”
Russia: Sakhalin Muslims
Window on Eurasia writes about Sakhalin Muslim “traditionalists” and “radicals.”
Former Philippine president convicted of plunder
After six years of trial, former Philippine president Joseph Estrada was found guilty of plunder by a special anti-graft court. This was the first time a former president was convicted of such crime in the Philippines.
China: A Free Speech Court Case
Liu Xiao Yuan, a lawyer, blogs about his lawsuit against a blog hosting company, sohu.com, for deleting his posts. The court dismissed his lawsuit on Sept 12 and he called up several local mainstream media for news briefing, but none of the newspapers released the news (zh).
Trinidad & Tobago: Crime Statement
The Manicou Report is not impressed with a Trinidadian Independent Senator's statement on a crime-related issue.
Russia: Russian Orphanage Graduates
Window on Eurasia writes on the tragic fate of nearly 90 percent of the Russian state orphanage graduates.
Russia: High-Ranking Officials and Reckless Driving
Russia Blog writes about a deadly car accident caused by the motorcade of the head of Russia’s Supreme Court: “And as always when we hear about another preventable death on Russia's highways, we ask the question: is all of this insane driving by Russian officials justified, or is it just...
Russia: Surprise Nomination of Victor Zubkov
President Vladimir Putin accepted the resignation of Russia’s prime minister Mikhail Fradkov today and perplexed Russia-watchers by nominating Victor Zubkov, the little-known head of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, for the premier's post. Here are a few reactions from English-language Russia blogs.
Jamaica: Election Court?
Moving Back to Jamaica asks: “What happens if the PNP is successful in its attempts to have 2 elected candidates disqualified because they are U.S. citizens? The situation…cries out for a peaceful and amicable solution.”
Bahamas: Cannabis Conundrum
“I believe that far too many young Bahamians go through life with a criminal record for smoking marijuana when the Police could expend their energy solving more serious crime.” Rick Lowe at WeblogBahamas.com posts video of a British television debate to stimulate discussion on whether marijuana should be legalised in...
Korea:Debating the Adultery Law
What do you think about ‘adultery’? Is it a world used to justify marriage and maintain the marriage system in society? In Korea, adultery is illegal. Debates are now raging over whether the law should be repealed. A blogger (non-Korean) summarizes the appeal against the adultery law and the real...
Africa: Cyber-activism and its legal implications
Arthur Chatora reports about a lecture on cyber-activism and legal lessons presented at the Digital Citizen Indaba: “The example of the South African “male prostitute” who anonymously blogged and claimed “he” had sex with 50 so-called clients is an interesting case study of cyber-activism and its legal implications.”
Japan: Protecting the Kyoto Cityscape
While many countries around the world are struggling to tackle Kyoto at home, the city the environmental accord was named after is caught up in its own struggle. The capital of Japan for over 1,000 years (794-1868), Kyoto was once a picturesque ancient city surrounded by mountains. Today it is...
Ukraine: Yanukovych and the “Illegal Election”
Foreign Notes writes about Party of the Regions’ dilemma: “Will PoR be prepared to go into opposition as a result of elections its leadership consider illegal, if results are not it their favour? Will PoR be prepared to form a coalition with the party of a president who dismissed parliament...
Russia: International Terrorism?
The Accidental Russophile writes about the difference between the Russian and American views of international terrorism: “Putin's most recent tour of southeast Asia was little more than an arms dealer visiting his new customers.”
China: Senior sues would-be Samaritan
An older woman is knocked down as she tries to board a bus and breaks her collarbone. A young man, the first to have just exited the bus, helps her up and takes her to the hospital. After she accuses and successfully sues him, a moral debate sweeps across the blogsphere: are we to still lend a helping hand?
Barbados: Bajans Being Sidelined?
The Chinese Ambassador to Barbados, in an address to the Barbados South Rotary Club, explained that all Chinese workers on the island have work permits. Notes from the Margin thinks that he is missing the point.
