First In Asia: Taiwan Constitutional Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriages, Amendments To Be Made Within 2 Years

Taiwan’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday paved way for the island to become the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, after it struck down the Civil Code’s definition of marriage as being only between a man and a woman.The Court has now directed the authorities concerned to amend or enact relevant laws in accordance with the ruling, within two years. If the legislature...

Neil Gorsuch Sworn In As US Supreme Court Judge

Neil Gorsuch was, on Monday, sworn in as the Supreme Court’s ninth Judge, filling the seat once held by the late conservative icon Antonin Scalia. At 49, Justice Gorsuch is the youngest Supreme Court Nominee since George H. W. Bush in 1991 picked Clarence Thomas who was 43 at the time.Justice Gorsuch took the Constitutional Oath in a private ceremony, administered by Chief Justice John...

Companies Cannot Discriminate Against LGBT Employees: US Court Of Appeals [Read Opinion]

In a ruling that is being termed as a “game changer”, the full 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago recently ruled that Companies cannot discriminate against their LGBT employees because of their sexual orientation. Delivering a ruling by a majority of 8-3, the Court observed that discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation amounts to sexual discrimination, and therefore...

Singapore Supreme Court Upholds Compensation For “Subversion Of Genetic Affinity”[Read Judgment]

The Supreme Court of Singapore recently ruled that parents can claim compensation for subversion of their interest in “genetic affinity” with their children.“In our judgment, the Appellant’s interest in maintaining the integrity of her reproductive plans in this very specific sense – where she has made a conscious decision to have a child with her Husband to maintain...

European Court of Justice Restricts ‘Right To Be Forgotten’ [Read Judgment]

The European Court of Justice, on Thursday, ruled that individuals cannot demand removal of personal data from company records in an official register, thereby restricting the “right to be forgotten” to that extent.Such disclosure, it opined, was justified in view of the need to protect the interests of third parties, and to ensure legal certainty and fair trading, and thus the...

‘Regressive Laws’ Continue To Curb Freedom Of Speech & Expression In India: Amnesty Annual Report [Read Report]

In its annual State of World’s Human Rights Report for 2016-17, Amnesty International (AI) has said the authorities have used repressive laws to curb freedom of expression and to silence critics.The NGO report highlights and expresses serious concerns over burning human rights issues plaguing the nation.The report slams the repeated use of sedition laws in the country to curb freedom of...

US Court Refuses Trump’s Plea To Reinstate Travel Ban [Read Order]

In a major legal blow to President Donald Trump’s controversial scheme of temporarily prohibiting people from seven Muslim majority countries, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the suspension of the executive order. A three-judge bench unanimously rejected the appeal to reinstate the ban.The bench comprising circuit judges William C Canby, Richard R Clifton and Michelle T...

High Court Of Kenya Strikes Down Criminal Defamation, Cites Indian SC Judgments

The High Court of Kenya at Nairobi on Monday struck down the offence of criminal defamation, holding it to be “unnecessary, disproportionate and therefore excessive and not reasonably justifiable in an open democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom.”Ruling the provision as being against the Constitutional principles, Judge John M. Mativo observed, “By now, I...

Appeals Court Rejects Emergency Stay Motion To Reinstate Trump’s Immigration Ban

San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Sunday refused to issue an emergency stay against the temporary restraining order issued on Friday by U.S. District Court Judge James Robart, against the enforcement of President Donald Trump’s controversial executive order banning entry to the US from seven majority-Muslim countries.“The injunction immediately harms the public by...

Conservative Judge Neil Gorsuch Nominated To SCOTUS By President Trump

It has been reported that newly elected US President Donald Trump has nominated Neil Gorsuch, a federal appeals judge in Denver to the Supreme Court, filling the vacuum created by Late Justice Antonin Scalia who died in February last year. Neil Gorsuch, considered as an ardent textualist (like Scalia); is the son of the late Anne Gorsuch Burford, a Republican appointee of President...

US Federal Court Stays Deportation Under President Trump’s Immigration Ban [Read Order]

The Federal Court for the Eastern District of New York on Saturday granted an emergency stay halting deportations under President Donald Trump’s executive order banning entry to the US from seven majority-Muslim countries.“It is appropriate and just that, pending completion of a hearing before the Court on the merits of the Petition, that the Respondents be enjoined and restrained from...

Act Of Parliament Required To Trigger Brexit, Rules UK SC: Govt Loses Appeal [Read Judgment]

Act of Parliament is required to authorise ministers to give notice of the decision of the UK to withdraw from the European Union, the court held.In a setback to the United Kingdom government, the Supreme Court of United Kingdom, by 8-3 majority, has dismissed its appeal and held that an Act of Parliament is required to authorise ministers to give notice of the decision of the UK to withdraw...