ATB could not be part of a quality democracy: Submissions to Court against ATB – Part 02
Our Reporter. This is the Part 02 of the article we commenced posting on Tuesday (30), detailing the submissions made to Supreme Court of Sri Lanka against the Anti-Terrorism Bill, challenged by PTA victim poet Ahnaf Jazeem. Read Part 01. Read Part 03. Democratic Quality ATB "fails to reach even the minimum threshold
Successive Governments thrived on social misery and rooted terrorism, lawyer tells Sri Lanka Supreme Court: Submissions to Court against ATB – Part 01
Our Reporter This article is in three parts. First Part is published here. Part 02 will be published on Wednesday and the Part 03 on Thursday. The case filed by poet Ahnaf Jazeem, who is a victim of Sri Lanka anti-terror law, against the government's proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill (ATB), was taken up
International Court of Justice rules against Israel but declines to order end to genocide in Gaza
By Tom Carter On Friday, the International Court of Justice issued an 86-paragraph written decision on the request for “provisional measures” in the pending case by the government of South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention. Employing restrained but nevertheless damning language, the judges wrote,
Death row inmate executed by first-ever nitrogen asphyxiation: “Tonight Alabama causes humanity to take a step backwards”
By Kate Randol. The state of Alabama put Kenneth Eugene Smith to death Thursday evening at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. With his execution, Alabama has earned the macabre distinction of being the first US state, and likely the first government entity internationally, to utilize nitrogen asphyxiation to deliberately kill
Sri Lanka’s proposed anti-terrorism law does not meet the threshold of democratic quality, poet Ahnaf Jazeem petitions the Supreme Court
By Sanjaya Jayasekera This week, poet Ahnaf Jazeem, a former victim of Sri Lanka’s draconian terrorism law, filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the government’s proposed new Anti-Terrorism Bill. This new law is to replace the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which, since its enactment in 1979 by
Supreme Court narrowly upholds federal immigration authority against Texas measures
By John Burton On Monday, the US Supreme Court overruled a lower court injunction that was preventing US Border Patrol agents from removing sections of razor wire laid along the banks of the Rio Grande by Texas officials at the direction of the state’s fascistic, anti-immigrant Governor Greg Abbott. The Supreme Court’s
Kentucky bill aims to criminalize homelessness
By Milo Stevens. A Kentucky bill introduced in the legislature January 9 aims to criminalize homeless encampments across the state. House Bill 5, called the “Safer Kentucky Act,” would allow police to arrest people camping in public areas, sleeping in their cars or generally trying to survive in the elements. The bill
#MeToo witch-hunt targets French actor Gérard Depardieu
By Samuel Tissot. A state-backed witch-hunt has targeted renowned French actor Gérard Depardieu since last year and especially since the outbreak of the Israeli regime’s genocidal war on Gaza in October. Although Depardieu has been convicted of no crimes, major media outlets and parties promoted as “left” in official French politics
Right-wing Supreme Court majority conspires with billionaires to undermine federal regulations
By John Burton. At Wednesday morning’s oral argument, the right-wing supermajority of the US Supreme Court signaled that it will be dismantling 40 years of case law requiring federal judges to defer to the actions of regulatory agencies that were established by Congress and staffed by the executive branch. The decision will
US presidents can order assassinations—Trump lawyers and Justice Department prosecutors agree
By Patrick Martin The Appeals Court hearing Tuesday on ex-president Donald Trump’s claim of “absolute immunity” from prosecution for anything he did while in the White House led to a remarkable discussion of the president’s supposed power to order the assassination of political and business rivals, or foreigners targeted by the