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Next ICC prosecutor warns against sex crimes
Legal Business |
2011/12/14 12:59
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The next chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court pledged Tuesday to strengthen efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of sexual and gender crimes.
A day after her election by the 119 countries that support the tribunal, Gambian lawyer Fatou Bensouda said too often gender crimes go unreported and unpunished and the victims are trivialized, denigrated, threatened and silenced, which enables the abuses to continue unimpeded.
In its first cases, she said, the ICC has sent the message that this is no longer acceptable and must stop.
The International Criminal Court, which began operating in 2002, is the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal. It is a court of last resort, stepping in only when countries are unwilling or unable to prosecute alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
At the moment, the ICC is dealing with cases from Congo, the Central African Republic, Uganda involving the Lord's Resistance Army, the Darfur conflict in Sudan, the recent Libyan uprising, and post-election violence in Kenya and Ivory Coast.
At present, crimes such as rape, sexual slavery, and forced prostitution and pregnancy are alleged in some cases before the court in all of these situations except Libya, where an investigation of alleged gender-based crimes is still under way. |
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City Council in Pa. capital again seeks bankruptcy
Legal Business |
2011/12/12 10:37
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The City Council has appealed a judge's decision to throw out the bankruptcy petition of Pennsylvania's debt-choked capital city, its attorney said.
The appeal was filed Saturday in federal court, City Council attorney Mark Schwartz said in an email.
Last month, a federal bankruptcy judge ruled that Harrisburg may not seek bankruptcy protection, calling such a filing illegal. That ruling cleared the way for the state to take over the city.
The judge said the city had been legally barred by a separate state law, signed June 30 by Gov. Tom Corbett, from seeking bankruptcy protection and, in any case, had no authority to go over the mayor's head to file it. |
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Appeals court blocks cement plant pollution rule
Legal Business |
2011/12/09 13:13
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A federal appeals court is blocking an Environmental Protection Agency rule designed to reduce pollution at cement plants.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington agreed with cement makers that the EPA did not properly draft the rule governing storage of material used in the manufacturing process. The judges ordered the agency to rewrite the 2010 regulation and urged them to do so quickly.
Other rules affecting pollutants in the cement making process were left in place by the judges.
Congress also had been considering a challenge to the rule. More than 100 lawmakers with plants in their districts pushed the House to pass a bill Oct. 6 that would have forced the EPA to rewrite the measure and give manufacturers years to comply. |
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Blagojevich team says he's guilty, asks for mercy
Legal Business |
2011/12/07 09:16
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After all his claims of innocence and facing years in prison, Rod Blagojevich let his lawyers make an admission that he has so far avoided - that he is, in fact, guilty of public corruption.
The former Illinois governor will get a chance to do the same Wednesday, when he is scheduled to address the judge who will decide his sentence.
Judge James Zagel signaled Tuesday he may be prepared to impose a stiff prison sentence, saying he thinks Blagojevich lied when he told jurors he never tried to sell or trade an appointment to President Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat for campaign cash or a top job.
Throughout the first day of his two-day sentencing hearing, the impeached executive-turned-reality TV star known for his jocular personality was somber and ill-at-ease, staring down at the floor. His wife sobbed as a letter from their daughter was read begging Zagel not to send Blagojevich to prison.
The hearing was a stark contrast to the circus atmosphere around Blagojevich's trials on multiple counts of corruption.
The conciliatory tone came as something of a surprise — just days after defense filings that, as many times before, stridently declared Blagojevich's innocence and said he had been duped by aides but never intended to cross any lines into illegality. |
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ICC seeks information from Libya on Seif al-Islam
Legal Business |
2011/12/06 10:55
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International Criminal Court judges want to know from Libyan authorities where Moammar Gadhafi's son and one-time heir apparent is being held and if court officials can visit him, according to a court document released Tuesday.
Libyan authorities announced Nov. 19 that Seif al-Islam Gadhafi had been captured by fighters in the country's remote southern desert. Days later they said they plan to put Seif on trial, despite the Hague-based court having issued an arrest warrant on crimes against humanity charges.
The Hague-based court is now debating its next step and says it wants to hear from Seif himself.
In the document, judges say they want to know from Libya's new rulers "when and where" court officials could meet Seif to ask if he wants a lawyer to represent his interests at the court and "to assess his physical and mental state." It also directly asks Libyan authorities to indicate if they plan to surrender Seif to the ICC for trial.
The document says a person whose identity was not released called court officials last month seeking to have a lawyer appointed to represent Seif at proceedings in The Hague. Judges have so far declined the request as it remains unclear if Seif wants the person appointed. |
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