http://www.alliancealert.org news from the frontlines of the culture war Fri, 17 May 2013 22:58:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/05/15/egyptian-judges-suspend-talks-with-president/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/05/15/egyptian-judges-suspend-talks-with-president/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 18:44:06 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=163552 AP: In the judiciary's latest face-off with Egypt's Islamist rulers, the country's top council of judges decided Wednesday to suspend its participation in a government-backed judicial reform conference following a renewed push by lawmakers on a controversial bill that would force thousands of their colleagues into retirement. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/05/15/egyptian-judges-suspend-talks-with-president/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/05/13/uk-tory-mp-backs-bill-to-curb-growth-of-sharia-courts/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/05/13/uk-tory-mp-backs-bill-to-curb-growth-of-sharia-courts/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 21:35:34 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=163312 Christian Institute: An MP has praised a cross-bench Peer’s attempts to curb the growth of quasi-legal systems in the UK, which discriminate against women. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/05/13/uk-tory-mp-backs-bill-to-curb-growth-of-sharia-courts/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/30/pakistan-court-bans-musharraf-from-office-for-life/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/30/pakistan-court-bans-musharraf-from-office-for-life/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:40:20 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=162047 AP: A Pakistani court on Tuesday banned former military ruler Pervez Musharraf from running for public office for the rest of his life, the latest blow since he returned from exile last month to make a political comeback. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/30/pakistan-court-bans-musharraf-from-office-for-life/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/25/russia-offers-controversial-code-of-conduct-for-un-treaty-bodies/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/25/russia-offers-controversial-code-of-conduct-for-un-treaty-bodies/#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:27:45 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=161633 C-FAM: The proposed code also addresses the outsize influence of the UN bureaucracy and non-governmental organizations on treaty bodies. Over the past fifteen years, the commissions have succumbed to pressure to promote abortion on demand as well as special rights for homosexuals, though no human rights agreement mentions either. The nature of treaty bodies compounds the influence that the UN bureaucracy and nongovernmental organizations exert on human rights monitoring. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/25/russia-offers-controversial-code-of-conduct-for-un-treaty-bodies/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/23/top-legal-adviser-to-egypts-president-resigns/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/23/top-legal-adviser-to-egypts-president-resigns/#comments Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:23:06 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=161359 AP: The legal adviser of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi resigned Tuesday, alleging that the Muslim Brotherhood has monopolized decision-making and encroached on the governing of the country. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/23/top-legal-adviser-to-egypts-president-resigns/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/22/egypts-opposing-parties-argue-over-judiciary/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/22/egypts-opposing-parties-argue-over-judiciary/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:09:02 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=161203 Boston Globe (AP): Egypt’s main opposition group and judges vowed Monday to step up their fight against plans by the Islamist-dominated legislature to debate a bill critics say aims to impose Muslim Brotherhood control over the courts. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/22/egypts-opposing-parties-argue-over-judiciary/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/22/british-supreme-court-the-most-striking-fact-about-this-place-is-its-informality/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/22/british-supreme-court-the-most-striking-fact-about-this-place-is-its-informality/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:30:34 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=161125 FT Magazine: Don’t misunderstand: this is not a tieless, first-naming internet start-up; these are courts of law, and based on hierarchy and deference. But the grandeur and remoteness that were inevitable when the court was an adjunct to the Lords have been swept away. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/22/british-supreme-court-the-most-striking-fact-about-this-place-is-its-informality/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/18/pakistans-musharraf-flees-court-after-judges-order-his-arrest/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/18/pakistans-musharraf-flees-court-after-judges-order-his-arrest/#comments Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:26:18 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=160763 Reuters: Former President Pervez Musharraf fled a courtroom on Thursday after judges ordered his arrest to answer allegations he committed treason in 2007, an ignominious retreat for a man who once dominated Pakistan and had hoped to revive his political fortunes. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/18/pakistans-musharraf-flees-court-after-judges-order-his-arrest/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/18/liberias-new-top-judge-vows-to-implement-reforms/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/18/liberias-new-top-judge-vows-to-implement-reforms/#comments Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:03:44 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=160715 AP: Liberia's new top judge is vowing to address concerns from human rights groups about lengthy delays for people facing trial. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/18/liberias-new-top-judge-vows-to-implement-reforms/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/17/ireland-chief-justice-announces-new-forum-for-judiciary/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/17/ireland-chief-justice-announces-new-forum-for-judiciary/#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:02:14 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=160689 Irish Times: A new forum for communication between the judiciary and the Government has been formed, the Chief Justice has announced. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/17/ireland-chief-justice-announces-new-forum-for-judiciary/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/17/eu-blasts-hungary-over-non-compliance-with-eu-law/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/17/eu-blasts-hungary-over-non-compliance-with-eu-law/#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:58:47 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=160550 AP: Hungary has failed to reinstate judges and prosecutors it forced into early retirement in breach of EU law, the European Union's justice chief said Wednesday . . . ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/17/eu-blasts-hungary-over-non-compliance-with-eu-law/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/15/liberian-president-appoints-new-chief-justice/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/15/liberian-president-appoints-new-chief-justice/#comments Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:49:33 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=160304 AP: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says Francis Korkpor will be the country's new chief justice. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/15/liberian-president-appoints-new-chief-justice/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/15/supreme-court-becoming-charter-averse-expert-says/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/15/supreme-court-becoming-charter-averse-expert-says/#comments Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:20:37 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=160291 The Globe and Mail: Constitutional experts are questioning whether the Supreme Court of Canada still has the stomach to guarantee fundamental rights. Not only is the court hearing fewer Charter cases, they contend, it increasingly releases timid, confusing judgments that confound lawyers and restrict the potential of the Charter. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/15/supreme-court-becoming-charter-averse-expert-says/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/12/u-s-support-for-the-hague-courts-and-tribunals-on-the-rise/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/12/u-s-support-for-the-hague-courts-and-tribunals-on-the-rise/#comments Fri, 12 Apr 2013 21:50:34 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=160172 Interdependent.com: The fact that the arrest and transfer of one of the ICC’s most wanted criminals was facilitated by the United States and Rwanda—two states that are not members of the court—demonstrated both the growing influence of the court and its changing relationship with the U.S. The United States’ increasing cooperation with the court continued even more recently . . . ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/12/u-s-support-for-the-hague-courts-and-tribunals-on-the-rise/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/11/european-court-upholds-ban-of-extremist-party/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/11/european-court-upholds-ban-of-extremist-party/#comments Thu, 11 Apr 2013 22:22:29 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=160024 Prague Daily Monitor: The European Human Rights Court has stopped dealing with a complaint by the dissolved Czech Workers' Party (DS) and its former chairman Tomas Vandas, the Justice Ministry has said on its website, saying this means the party's dissolution can be considered definitive. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/11/european-court-upholds-ban-of-extremist-party/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/09/un-human-rights-committee-targets-florida/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/09/un-human-rights-committee-targets-florida/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:46:25 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=159576 ACLU: When the U.N. Human Rights Committee reviews U.S. compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) this October, the review will tackle many of the human rights violations plaguing Florida. Last week the committee released its list of issues, which will form the basis for the U.S. review, and demanded answers to questions regarding U.S. laws and policies in areas such as juvenile solitary confinement, felon disfranchisement, and discriminatory enforcement of criminal law ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/09/un-human-rights-committee-targets-florida/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/09/supreme-courts-in-and-out-of-the-headlines-nations-divided/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/09/supreme-courts-in-and-out-of-the-headlines-nations-divided/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:08:05 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=159522 UKSC Blog: One reason for the absence of legal contest over these issues in the UK is the lack of a mechanism for constitutional challenge to the validity of laws. The powers of parliament not being limited by a written constitution, there has traditionally been no way of testing the propriety of laws against general principles. However, things are slowly changing. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/04/09/supreme-courts-in-and-out-of-the-headlines-nations-divided/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/27/uk-govt-loses-court-challenge-to-deport-muslim-cleric/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/27/uk-govt-loses-court-challenge-to-deport-muslim-cleric/#comments Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:54:20 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=158504 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/27/uk-govt-loses-court-challenge-to-deport-muslim-cleric/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/22/zimbabwe-rights-lawyer-bail-appeal-postponed/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/22/zimbabwe-rights-lawyer-bail-appeal-postponed/#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:00:52 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=158026 AP: A Zimbabwean court on Friday postponed a bail appeal to release the nation's top rights lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/22/zimbabwe-rights-lawyer-bail-appeal-postponed/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/20/zimbabwe-court-denies-bail-to-human-rights-lawyer/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/20/zimbabwe-court-denies-bail-to-human-rights-lawyer/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:14:37 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=157757 AP: The American Bar Association on Wednesday condemned Mtetwa's treatment in detention and called on Zimbabwean authorities to "cease further harassment of political opponents and their representatives exercising their rights under international law." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/20/zimbabwe-court-denies-bail-to-human-rights-lawyer/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/15/courts-become-a-battleground-for-secularists-islamists-in-syria/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/15/courts-become-a-battleground-for-secularists-islamists-in-syria/#comments Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:03:05 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=157345 NPR: In rebel-held parts of Syria, a clash of ideologies is playing out. Powerful Islamist brigades are competing with pro-democracy civilians to shape Syria's future. One battlefront is in the courts. In many areas in northern Syria, Islamists have set up religious courts that deliver rulings under Shariah, or Islamic law — a fundamental change in Syria's civil legal system. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/15/courts-become-a-battleground-for-secularists-islamists-in-syria/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/11/alarm-rises-as-hungary-defiant-on-law/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/11/alarm-rises-as-hungary-defiant-on-law/#comments Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:55:59 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=156861 FT.com: Critics say the amendments contain provisions threatening the independence of the judiciary, and potentially violating freedom of religion and the principle of separation of state and church. They narrowly define heterosexual marriage and “marriage and parent-child relationships” as the basis of the family. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/11/alarm-rises-as-hungary-defiant-on-law/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/11/international-criminal-court-jurisdiction-over-israeli-settlements/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/11/international-criminal-court-jurisdiction-over-israeli-settlements/#comments Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:11:02 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=156847 Volokh Conspiracy: I have put up a new working paper on SSRN, entitled Jurisdiction Over Israeli Settlement Activity in the International Criminal Court . . . In the wake of the U.N. General Assembly’s recent recognition of Palestinian statehood, the Palestinian government has made clear its intention to accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC), where it could challenge the legality of Israeli settlements. This Article explores the previously unexamined jurisdictional hurdles for such a case. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/11/international-criminal-court-jurisdiction-over-israeli-settlements/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/07/the-growing-threat-of-international-treaties/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/07/the-growing-threat-of-international-treaties/#comments Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:17:08 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=156568 LifeSiteNews: Although the lofty treaties, speeches and other goings-on at the United Nations often seem irrelevant to parents with busy lives, it is increasingly important that we pay attention to some troubling developments that could gravely effect the lives of all U.S. citizens. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/07/the-growing-threat-of-international-treaties/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/06/court-suspends-egypts-parliament-election/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/06/court-suspends-egypts-parliament-election/#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:14:34 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=156364 AP: The court says in its Wednesday ruling that the law organizing the elections must be reviewed by the Supreme Constitutional Court to determine its conformity to the constitution. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/06/court-suspends-egypts-parliament-election/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/04/canada-supremacists-courts/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/04/canada-supremacists-courts/#comments Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:12:35 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=156208 National Review: If the Canadian Supreme Court is happy to indulge the prosecution of those whose speech apparently “opposes the targeted group’s ability to find self-fulfillment,” then I wonder if it wouldn’t also be happy to bring back Spectral Evidence, which William Stoughton allowed into his courtroom with such famous success at the Salem Witch Trials. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/04/canada-supremacists-courts/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/04/czech-lawmakers-to-charge-president-with-treason/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/04/czech-lawmakers-to-charge-president-with-treason/#comments Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:36:16 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=156092 AP: Lawmakers at the Czech parliament's upper house have decided to press high treason charges against outgoing president Vaclav Klaus over his controversial amnesty - an unprecedented move that taints the end of his presidency. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/03/04/czech-lawmakers-to-charge-president-with-treason/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/27/natural-law-and-secular-enlightenment-morality/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/27/natural-law-and-secular-enlightenment-morality/#comments Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:28:31 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=155745 The American Scene: But of course, as any freshman philosophy student can tell, the problem comes when you try to ground those universal human rights. Where do they come from? Who confers them? Why should they be respected? There’s basically only two ways to do so, one theistic and one non-theistic. Universal human rights are perfectly grounded if they come from God, as the Declaration of Independence asserts and as I believe in my heart of hearts. But not everybody likes that, and it sort of defeats the purpose of creating this secular moral system to begin with. The only other way that I’m aware of to ground the idea of universal human rights is in, wait for it, the natural law. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/27/natural-law-and-secular-enlightenment-morality/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/26/politics-undermine-iraqs-judiciary/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/26/politics-undermine-iraqs-judiciary/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:15:20 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=155623 Middle East Forum: It is a truism that the de-Baathification process in Iraq was turned into virtual "de-Sunnification" in many respects and thus helped to fuel the Sunni Arab insurgency in the period 2003-2005. However, one area that stands out as a notable exception is the judiciary. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/26/politics-undermine-iraqs-judiciary/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/26/uk-trio-of-judicial-appointments-to-the-supreme-court/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/26/uk-trio-of-judicial-appointments-to-the-supreme-court/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:33:22 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=155552 UK Supreme Court: Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court, today welcomes the announcement of three appointments to the Court. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/26/uk-trio-of-judicial-appointments-to-the-supreme-court/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/20/biolaw-emerges-as-a-discipline-in-its-own-right/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/20/biolaw-emerges-as-a-discipline-in-its-own-right/#comments Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:05:22 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=155154 Turtle Bay and Beyond: While bioethics is a well established academic discipline, biolaw is often overlooked. Unlike bioethics, which is concerned with the question of what should be done or avoided, biolaw aims to answer the question what must or must not be done. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/20/biolaw-emerges-as-a-discipline-in-its-own-right/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/19/uk-supreme-court-denies-government-pressure-to-select-a-woman/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/19/uk-supreme-court-denies-government-pressure-to-select-a-woman/#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:48:02 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=155018 The Guardian: Senior legal figures believe promotion of three male judges to highest court delayed because ministers want a woman to fill one of the vacancies ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/19/uk-supreme-court-denies-government-pressure-to-select-a-woman/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/04/british-court-for-first-time-refers-marital-dispute-for-arbitration-by-jewish-religious-court/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/04/british-court-for-first-time-refers-marital-dispute-for-arbitration-by-jewish-religious-court/#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:22:12 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=154234 Religion Clause Blog: As reported by the Hodge Jones & Allen law firm, the English and Wales High Court (Family Division) last week handed down a judgment that for the first time in Britain endorsed the determination of a matrimonial dispute through reference to a Jewish religious court (Bet Din). ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/04/british-court-for-first-time-refers-marital-dispute-for-arbitration-by-jewish-religious-court/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/01/uk-lord-neuberger%e2%80%99s-judicial-assistant-lifts-the-lid-on-supreme-court-life/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/01/uk-lord-neuberger%e2%80%99s-judicial-assistant-lifts-the-lid-on-supreme-court-life/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:19:17 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=154022 LegalCheek.com (includes video): Amid the glow of the UK Supreme Court's psychedelic carpets (the work of Sgt Pepper's album cover designer Peter Blake), former Linklaters trainee Cameron Sim tells me what it has been like to spend the last year working as the judicial assistant to Supreme Court president Lord Neuberger... ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/02/01/uk-lord-neuberger%e2%80%99s-judicial-assistant-lifts-the-lid-on-supreme-court-life/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/01/28/who-decides-the-laws-of-war/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/01/28/who-decides-the-laws-of-war/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2013 12:59:22 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=153568 NY Times: In certain respects, the current dispute is knottier and more abstract than Bush-era fights over the laws of war. But a common concern connects them: reciprocity, or the principle that a military should treat wartime prisoners the same as it wants adversaries to treat its soldiers. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2013/01/28/who-decides-the-laws-of-war/feed/ 0