Oral Sex is not Rape if the victim was unconscious due to intoxication, says Oklahoma Court [Read Judgment]

Lawyers and Layman alike, would hardly doubt that forced sex, of whatsoever nature, without consent with a person who was unconscious at the time of the sexual act, would be a rape within the meaning of penal laws. But a Court in Oklahoma in United States of America has delivered a strange order, which many legal experts describe as “absurd” and “offending”, wherein it has upheld a...

US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) rejects challenge against Google Books Projects

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a challenge claiming that Google’s scanning of their books amounts to wanton copyright infringement and not fair use.The Authors’ Guild originally sued Google, saying that serving up search results from scanned books infringes on publishers’ copyrights even though the search giant shows only restricted snippets of the work. The writers...

US Human Rights Report criticises India for Extra Judicial Killings etc [Read report]

The 2015 report from US Govt department on human rights, slams India for judicial killings and other atrocities by Indian armed forces and police. The report has mentioned several incidents that happened in India and even accused the National Investigation Agency for “going soft” on Hindutva elements for their involvement in Malegaon blasts.The report states that “Rohini Salian, the...

China Pulls License of Prominent Rights Lawyer Pu Zhiqiangon for criticising the Government

Chinese human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiangon announced on Wednesday that his license to practice law was revoked by the Beijing City Judicial Bureau.The bureau allegedly disbarred Pu from practicing law because of a December criminal conviction associated with using social media to critique the government. The move is criticized as a way to curtail activists from using their positions...

Sex offenders are not required to update registration once they relocate to a foreign country: US Supreme Court [Read Judgment]

Overruling the Tenth Circuit, the US Supreme Court on Monday unanimously ruled that the Sex Offender Notification and Registration Act (SORNA) does not require an individual to update his registration in Kansas once he departed the State.The Court was hearing a petition filed by Mr. Nichols who was a registered sex offender, convicted of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual...

Nepal to get its first woman Chief Justice

Nepal seems to be witnessing several changes in its system of governance after adopting a new constitution, making it a federal republic in 2015. The country got its first woman president and speaker and now is all set to get its first woman Chief Justice as a meeting of the Judicial Council had recommended Sushila Karki, the senior most judges in Nepal's Supreme Court, to be appointed as...

SCOTUS rejects APPLE’s appeal in E-Book price fixing case; APPLE to pay $400 Million in damages to consumers

The Supreme Court of United States has refused to review an Appellate Court finding that Apple had conspired with book publishers to raise the prices of digital books, in violation of state and federal antitrust laws.The Supreme Court refused to grant certiorari to the petition moved by Apple Inc. and thereby upheld the Appellate court finding. While the Liability Appeal was still pending...

Alabama Supreme Court ruling blocking same sex adoption reversed by SCOTUS [Read Judgment]

Supreme Court of United States has reversed Alabama Supreme Court decision which had refused to recognize an out-of-state adoption by a same-sex partner.A Georgia court entered a final judgment of adoption making petitioner V. L. a legal parent of the children that she and respondent E. L. had raised together from birth. V. L. and E. L. later separated while living in Alabama. V. L. asked...

Supreme Court of Alabama upholds same sex marriage Rights [Read Judgment]

-The Supreme Court of Alabama has ruled [Jt] in affirmative, upholding the right of same sex marriage unions. The court while doing so, has repelled the challenges made by conservative religious groups who have noted a voice of disapproval against such relationship.The case was filed by Alabama Citizens Action Program and the Alabama Policy Institute seeking a writ of mandamus to the...

Canada Court stops Extradition of Honor Killing accused to India alleging Human Rights violations in Indian prisons [Read Order]

The British Columbia Appeal Court has stopped the extradition of the mother and uncle of a Canadian woman who was the victim of an alleged “honor killing”. The extradition has been denied on apprehension of they there existed a substantial risk that they would be mistreated in India.Mr. Surjit Badesha and Ms. Malkit Sidhu were the uncle and mother respectively of Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu,...

Italian Senate approves Gay Civil Unions Bill

The Senate in Italy has approved a watered-down bill allowing civil unions for same-sex and heterosexual couples but only after removing a provision that would have allowed gay adoption, much to the disappointment of gay rights activists.Gay groups earlier described the bill, which still needs to be backed by the lower house, as a betrayal.It was approved by 173 votes to 71 against.The bill...

President Obama, in search of a Judge…

The US President, Barak Obama shared his views on the expected quality and character of the new Judge to be appointed on the bench of the US Supreme Court. His views appeared on US Supreme Court blog (scotusblog.com)  as a guest post.In the selection process, he emphasized that he would be consulting legal experts and members of Political Parties across the spectrum. The president underlined...