Foreign/International
Race-Based Affirmative Action In College Admissions Unconstitutional : US Supreme Court
Holding that race cannot be considered while granting college admissions to students, the Supreme Court of the United States of America declared as unconstitutional the race-conscious admission policies at the Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, which were being followed as an affirmative action to ensure representation for marginalised and under-represented...
Uganda Enacts Anti-Homosexuality Act Prescribing Death Penalty For ‘Aggravated Homosexuality’
The President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni has assented to the stringent Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023. The law was initially passed by Parliament on March 22, 2023, having been introduced as a Private Member Bill. Though the Bill received unanimous legislative support, it was returned to the Parliament by the President on April 27, 2023 suggesting some changes. The House reconsidered the Bill...
Pakistan Supreme Court Declares Arrest of Former PM Imran Khan Unlawful
On Thursday, the Supreme Court Of Pakistan declared the execution of the arrest warrant issued by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on May 1 in the Al-Qadir Trust case against Imran Khan as “invalid” and “unlawful”.The bench of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah said, “The execution of said warrant violated the...
Israel’s Judicial Reform Bill: A Threat To Judicial Independence & Democracy?
On February 20, 2023, two bills that aim to "overhaul Israel's judiciary" were approved by a vote of 63 to 47 in the 120-member Parliament of Israel, just barely after midnight. In the middle of continuous demonstrations in which tens of thousands of Israelis assembled on the streets and blocked highways heading towards the capital city of Jerusalem, the far-right government...
Sedition Law Intended To Wreak Revenge On A Political Dissenter; Loyalty To State & Govt Must Be Distinguished: Lahore High Court
Finding SEDITION LAW to be in significant tension with constitutionalism and constitutional democracy, Pakistan's Lahore High Court last week invalidated Section 124A of the Pakistan Penal Code which pertains to the crime of sedition or inciting “disaffection” against the government. While holding so, Justice Shahid Karim underscored that Loyalty to the state has to be distinguished...
Supreme Court Of Pakistan Declares Election Commission’s Decision To Delay Punjab Polls Unconstitutional
Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday declared Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)'s decision to delay the election in Punjab as unconstitutional, without lawful authority or jurisdiction, void ab-initio, of no legal effect and consequently quashed the decision.The bench of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar said, “Neither the Constitution nor...
Lahore High Court Strikes Down Country's Sedition Law [Section 124A Of Pakistan Penal Code]
The Lahore High Court today invalidated Section 124A of the Pakistan Penal Code [Sedition law] calling it inconsistent with the Country's Consitution, reported Pakistan Daily DawnJustice Shahid Karim of the High Court invalidated Sedition Law while dealing with a batch of petitions seeking to annul Section 124A of the PPC on the ground that the law was being by the Governments in powers...
The Override Clause- Israel’s Quest For Its Kesavananda
It is a turning moment in the constitutional history of Israel, it is a Kesavananda Bharti-like opportunity to protect and preserve the basic tenets of democracy. The city of Tel Aviv is gathered by thousands of people protesting on the streets for what they call ‘standing up for democracy’. Protests have been going on in the national capital for nine weeks, against the action...
Artificial Intelligence Enters Litigation, World's First 'Robot Lawyer' To Advise Defendants In US
Artificial intelligence is set to enter litigation. World's first 'robot lawyer', powered by artificial intelligence, will give legal advice to defendants in the United States of America in two cases related to overspeeding.US-based startup DoNotPay, which bills itself as "the world's first robot lawyer," will instruct the defendants in two speeding ticket cases in court next month. The AI,...
US Court Dismisses Defamation Suit Filed By Hindu American Foundation Against Five Defendants Over Al-Jazeera Article
A US District Judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) alleging defamation by five defendants. The lawsuit was filed in the District Court of Columbia against co-founders of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) Sunita Vishwanath and Raju Rajagopal, Executive Director of Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) Rasheed Ahmed, Chairman of Federation of Indian...