US House votes for 20-week abortion ban

[JURIST] The US House of Representatives [official website] on Tuesday voted in favor of a bill [HR 1797] that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The bill passed by a vote of 228-196 [roll call vote] mainly along party lines. The White House on Monday expressed opposition [statement, PDF] to the legislation: "If the President were presented with this legislation, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto this bill." Before it reaches the president, the bill must pass the Democrat-controlled Senate. The legislation has not been scheduled for a vote and is not expected to be... Full Story››

UK Supreme Court allows families of Iraq soldiers to sue government

[JURIST] The UK Supreme Court [official website] ruled [judgment, PDF] Wednesday that the families of some British soldiers who were killed or injured in Iraq can sue the British government for damages. In its ruling, the Supreme Court stated that families claiming that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) [official website] did not fulfill its duty of adequately protecting a family member by providing appropriate weaponry or armored vehicles could launch damages claims [AP report] under theories of negligence and human rights. The Supreme Court added, however, that certain things will still not be challengeable [BBC report] under human rights law,... Full Story››

AI: China mining companies contributing to Congo rights abuses

[JURIST] Chinese-owned mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are contributing to a culture of human rights abuses, Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] reported [text, PDF; press release] Wednesday. AI claims that those companies should be held accountable for the longstanding, ongoing human rights abuses related to child labor, on-site injuries, financial exploitation and the illegal detainment of workers in handmade jail cells. Although AI does not claim that the Chinese companies are the original source of such treatment, the likes of which have been recorded for decades, it does maintain that the companies must be held accountable... Full Story››

UN rights chief urges Hungary to revoke constitutional amendments

[JURIST] UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official website] on Tuesday urged [press release] the Hungarian government to revoke constitutional amendments that have recently come under fire for undermining the country's constitutional justice and for threatening the independence of the country's judiciary. Pillay's call to the Hungarian government came after the Venice Commission [official website] released a report expressing concern that the new constitution does not afford enough protection [JURIST report] for fundamental human rights. Pillay welcomed the Venice Commission's report and also reminded the Hungarian government that a number of its legislative changes since 2010 have come... Full Story››

Rights groups challenge NYPD over Muslim surveillance

[JURIST] Rights groups filed a federal lawsuit [complaint, PDF] on Tuesday accused the New York Police Department (NYPD) [official website] of unlawfully targeting Muslims for surveillance. The rights group allege that the NYPD has been sending spies into mosques, student associations and other places to gather information based solely on the fact that the targets are Muslim. The New York Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility (Clear) [advocacy websites] project of Main Street Legal Services, Inc. at CUNY School of Law argue [press release] that the program violates the... Full Story››