US Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. devoted his annual year-end report on the state of the nation’s courts to just one issue, albeit one he said has “now reached the level of a constitutional crisis and threatens to undermine the strength and independence of the federal judiciary.” He continued: “I am talking […]
The “American Lawyer” list of rising litigators in the US contains a concentration of appellate, intellectual property, public interest, and products liability lawyers. Others have made a mark as criminal defenders or labor lawyers or securities specialists. All of them have worked relentlessly to get where they are. The list carries the biographies of 50
Saddam Hussein’s chief lawyer implored world leaders today to prevent the United States from handing over the ousted leader to Iraqi authorities for execution, saying he should enjoy protection from his enemies as a “prisoner of war.” Iraq’s highest court on Tuesday rejected Saddam’s appeal against his conviction and death sentence for the killing of
China’s National People’s Congress started debate Sunday on the seventh draft of a landmark private property bill intended to protect state, collective and private property. If passed, the legislation will be first bill in China’s history to specifically protect private ownership. The controversial bill has already sparked public debate [AFP report] on whether the law
When Michael B. Siegel was a kid, his favorite player was Charles Barkley of the 76ers, and he practiced Barkleyesque moves on the playgrounds and school gyms in suburban Philadelphia, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I thought I would play pro, I guess, but then I had about five injuries and knew I would never get
Donald Findlay has reclaimed his position as Scotland’s highest earning criminal lawyer, a report will today reveal. The veteran QC raked in around £300,000 in legal aid during the past financial year for defending accused people in some of the highest-profile court cases. Mr Findlay, the former vice-chairman of Rangers Football Club, had been Scotland’s
The questions over lethal injection that have led executions to be halted in Florida and California are likely to curb the use of the death penalty across the USA, according to analysts who support capital punishment and others who oppose it. However, it’s unclear whether the increasing focus on whether lethal injection is unconstitutionally painful
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is being sued by a former partner over the magic circle firm’s controversial pension reforms as cracks appear in its transformative restructuring programme. Former head of insolvency Peter Bloxham, who retired from Freshfields on 31 October to take advantage of the firm’s old pension scheme, filed a claim with the Employment Tribunal
Downing Street yesterday bowed to pressure from Saudi Arabia and forced the Serious Fraud Office to abandon its investigation into alleged bribery of Saudi officials by BAE Systems. The investigation had embarrassed the Saudi royal family, on whom the alleged £60 million bribes were supposed to have been spent, and threatened a new £10 billion
In a cavernous room that once displayed gifts given to Saddam Hussein, eight men in yellow prison garb sat on the floor facing the wall, guarded by two American soldiers. Among them was Abdulla Sultan Khalaf, a Ministry of Industry employee seized by American troops who said they found 10 blasting caps and 100 sticks
