· February, 2009

Stories about Law from February, 2009

Colombia: Restrictions and Curfew in Medellín

  27 February 2009

In Medellín, Colombia, Juan David Escobar is critical about the new restrictions for male passengers on motorcycles and a city-wide curfew for bars outside of designated areas [es]. He points out that in spite of what the government has been saying over the past 10 years about the arrival of...

Bangladesh: Massacre Cannot be Justified

  27 February 2009

“What do you call it when a group of ‘disgruntled’ BDR soldiers [Bangladesh border guards] started their expression of grievances by open-firing on the commissioned army officers? Mutiny? Rebellion? Revolt? Uprising?” asks Kotha-Chilo. The blogger concludes the post with: “BDR soldiers – now I feel ‘disgruntled’ at your massacre. I...

Bangladesh: Mutiny Is Over, But Question Remains

  27 February 2009

Yesterday it was a tensed day in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The 33-hour long mutiny and siege by aggrieved lower rank officers of paramilitary forces BDR ended as they surrendered their arms in the evening at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters. According to news paper reports seventeen BDR members...

Pakistan: Déjà vu 1971?

  26 February 2009

“Zardari is doing exactly what Bhutto had done in 1971 – eliminating all challenges that may come in his way to become another “Civilian Martial Law Administrator”, comments Teeth Maestro while discussing the recent “verdict that refuses to give the democratically elected government its right to function.”

Guadeloupe: Police “Blunder”?

  26 February 2009

Amidst the confusion of the month-long social conflict in Guadeloupe, two nights of violence took place on February 17th and 18th. Apart from acts of arson in shops and numerous burning roadblocks, the climax of these violent clashes has been the as-yet unsolved assassination of a man. Trikess, who blogs...

Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago: Injunction

  25 February 2009

Barbados Free Press finds it “interesting” that the Trinidad and Tobago Central Bank and the Colonial Life Insurance Company Limited (CLICO) have been granted an injunction against CL Financial.

Jordan: Smoking Ban?

  25 February 2009

Jordan has announced a ban on smoking in public places, beginning March 1. “In this kind of country, I’m forced to wonder what exactly were lawmakers smoking when they dreamt up this policy?” remarks The Black Iris.

Colombia: Another Illegal Wire Tapping Scandal

  25 February 2009

The news magazine Semana recently revealed that the "secret police" of Colombia had been illegally wire tapping politicians, journalists, magistrates, intellectuals and even government officials close to President Álvaro Uribe. Even worse, some of these agents allegedly had been “selling to the highest bidder” the information obtained to guerrillas, paramilitaries or drug traffickers. Colombian bloggers react to these revelations.

Malaysia: Operation Valentine

  25 February 2009

Malaysian police arrested 26 unmarried Muslim couples in hotel rooms during Operation Valentine to curb premarital sex. The crime of “khalwat,” or “close proximity” forbids unmarried Muslims to meet behind closed doors.

Mexico: War on Drugs Becoming Weirder

  24 February 2009

Mexico's war on drugs is getting “so surreal, absurd, and downright twisted” according to Daniel Hernandez of Intersections. He cites some recent incidents, including the claim that the drug cartels are organizing street protests against the Mexican military.

Chile: Parking Spaces for Disabled Drivers

  24 February 2009

Mario Carrasco Berrios describes some of his recent experiences in the city of Talca, Chile with the lack of parking spaces for disabled drivers [es], as well as the problem of drivers who are not disabled that take these reserved spaces.

India: Court Ruling Against Bloggers

  24 February 2009

Kafila informs about a recent Supreme Court ruling in India which states that “a person who starts a blog/community page cannot claim that it was a community page and not meant for public consumption.” That means the owner will be liable for all the collaborative contents and comments in that...

Pakistan: Honor Killings And Islam

  23 February 2009

Imam Zaid Shakir at GOATMILK: An intellectual playground reminds us that “the practice of honor killings has absolutely no sanction in the Qur’an, the Prophetic practice, or in the evolved systems of Islamic law.”