Latest news with #Judiciary
CNN
8 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Supreme Court Ruling Boosts Presidential Power - The Source with Kaitlan Collins - Podcast on CNN Podcasts
Supreme Court Ruling Boosts Presidential Power The Source with Kaitlan Collins 47 mins In a day full of Supreme Court rulings, one controversial ruling shifts the balance of powers.
HKFP
3 days ago
- Politics
- HKFP
Hong Kong court to hear former Stand News editor's appeal application against sedition conviction in Sept 2026
Hong Kong's Court of Appeal will hear the appeal application of a former senior editor at defunct media outlet Stand News against his sedition conviction in September next year. The three-day hearing will begin on September 22, 2026, according to the Judiciary's court diary. Patrick Lam, the former acting chief editor at Stand News, lodged the appeal to overturn his conviction in October last year, one month after he was sentenced alongside former chief editor Chung Pui-kuen at the District Court. The pair were found guilty of 'conspiracy to publish and reproduce seditious publications' in August. The parent company of Stand News was also found guilty of the colonial-era sedition charge. Chung was sentenced to 21 months in jail, while Lam was handed a 14-month jail term. But Lam was released immediately after District Court Judge Kwok Wai-kin determined that Lam would not have to serve extra time in jail after taking into account the 10 months Lam spent in pre-trial detention and his poor health. The judgment marked the first sedition conviction of journalists in Hong Kong since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. 'Tool to smear and vilify' Stand News was forced to shutter in December 2021 after national security police raided its newsroom and froze its assets. The two editors and the outlet's parent company were later charged under the colonial-era sedition offence, punishable by up to two years in jail. Judge Kwok ruled that the two editors were not conducting genuine journalism during the period of the offence, but instead 'participating in the so-called resistance.' Kwok found that the news outlet had published 11 articles ruled to be seditious, 'at a time when over half of the Hong Kong society distrusted [Beijing] and [the local] government, the police, and the judiciary.' The 11 articles, mostly opinion pieces critical of the authorities, caused 'potential detrimental consequences to national security,' the judge said. Stand News 'became a tool to smear and vilify the [Beijing] Authorities and the [Hong Kong] Government' during the 2019 protests and unrest, Kwok wrote. The homegrown national security law, known locally as Article 23, which came into effect in March 2024, raised the penalty for sedition to seven years in prison and 10 years if the offender is found to have colluded with a foreign element. Separate from the 2020 Beijing-enacted security law, the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance targets treason, insurrection, sabotage, external interference, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage. It allows for pre-charge detention of up to 16 days, and suspects' access to lawyers may be restricted, with penalties involving up to life in prison. Article 23 was shelved in 2003 amid mass protests, remaining taboo for years. But, on March 23, 2024, it was enacted having been fast-tracked and unanimously approved at the city's opposition-free legislature. The law has been criticised by rights NGOs, Western states and the UN as vague, broad and 'regressive.' Authorities, however, cited perceived foreign interference and a constitutional duty to 'close loopholes' after the 2019 protests and unrest.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Justice for judges — Past presidents of Malaysian Bar
JUNE 25 — In less than a week, the Judiciary will bid farewell to one of its most distinguished. The first woman Chief Justice of Malaysia, Tun Tengku Maimun binti Tuan Mat, has reinvigorated the Judiciary by leading the third branch of government with integrity, intellect, courage, and dignity. She leaves on 1 st July 2025. Two other Federal Court Judges who are retiring soon also deserve mention: Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abang Iskandar bin Abang Hashim and Tan Sri Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan. Each of them has demonstrated the sterling qualities that make a Judge of the Federal Court the crème de la crème of Judges. It is Judges of the ilk of the three mentioned, who have propelled the Malaysian Judiciary to international recognition and repute, and have made our Judiciary one of the most respected. Recent international surveys and reports testify to this. We should be proud of this monumental achievement. It is thus utterly mystifying why these three outstanding Judges appear to have been singled out to NOT receive the six-month extension under Article 125 of the Federal Constitution. That, too, at a time when we are short of senior and experienced Judges. Why the exclusion, when it is undeniable that they have acquitted themselves in the best traditions of the Bench? One only has to read their judgments to appreciate why we are incredulous, and believe that their non-extension is a profound mistake. The concern is also the negative perceptions that this failure to extend their tenure may give rise to. The Judiciary, as the third branch of government, is equal in status to the other two — Parliament and the Executive. Equal must mean equal, regardless of expediencies. — Pexels pic There is a perception that this is retribution for their having decided cases in a particular way not in line with the wishes of the powersthat be. There is also a perception that this is intended to be a chilling message to other Judges to 'toe the line'. Yet others believe it is because certain political interests must be served in return for patronage or support. Rightly or wrongly, these perceptions strike at the foundation of the Judiciary, and erode the independence of the Judiciary. Further, the incessant delays in making appointments to the Judiciary and, now, in deciding on a simple matter such as an extension, breed unnecessary speculation and uncertainty in the Judiciary and in the minds of the public. Conclusion Much is left to be desired in this unacceptable treatment of the Judges. The Judiciary, as the third branch of government, is equal in status to the other two — Parliament and the Executive. Equal must mean equal, regardless of expediencies. A Government that came into power with the support of the people for its solemn promise of building strong and independent institutions and checks and balances, will lose that trust and support if the Judiciary is undermined. We urge the Government not to allow any backsliding in preserving, promoting and protecting the independence of the Judiciary, as this would hurl us into a past that Malaysians would rather forget. Past presidents of the Malaysian Bar: Zainur Zakaria, Mah Weng Kwai, Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari, Yeo Yang Poh, Ambiga Sreenevasan, Ragunath Kesavan, Christopher Leong and Steven Thiru. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Iran executes 3 more prisoners over allegedly spying for Israel, state media say
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran executed three more prisoners Wednesday over allegedly spying for Israel, its state-run IRNA news agency reported, the latest hangings connected to its war with Israel. The hangings happened in Urmia Prison in Iran's West Azerbaijan province, which is the country's most northwest province. IRNA cited Iran's judiciary for the news, saying the men had been accused of bringing 'assassination equipment' into the country.
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Supreme Court Blocks Deportation-Notice Rule in Win for Trump
A divided US Supreme Court lifted a judge's order that required President Donald Trump's administration to give people 10 days notice and a chance to object before they are deported to a so-called third country. Over three dissents, the high court granted an emergency request from the administration, which said the order from a Massachusetts federal judge usurped presidential authority and interfered with diplomatic efforts.
