Foreign Investment in China's Aviation Industry
China - The Regulations on Foreign Investment in Civil Aviation, issued by the
Civil Aviation Administration of China, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and
Economic Co-operation and the State Development Planning Commission, have come
into force. The Regulations state that the scope of foreign investment in civil
aviation covers civil airports, public air transport enterprises,
general-purpose aviation enterprises and projects related to air transport. It
is prohibited for foreign investors to invest in and manage air traffic control
systems.
(Source: www.chinalegalchange.com.)
Supreme Court Urges Survey of Stock-related Cases
China - China's Supreme People's Court is urging local courts to study hearing
and enforcement of financial cases, especially securities-related disputes, to
ensure justice and high efficiency in trying such cases. The courts will come up
with tougher rules to crack down on illegal financial activities to ensure
better market order and guarantee the nation's fiscal security.
(Source: www.isinolaw.com.)
Halting Anti-nationals
India - Union Law Minister K Jana Krishnamurthy has said the government will
bring an exclusive bill to bar the entry of anti-nationals in politics. The
statement followed an all-party meeting on electoral reforms, dismissing the
Election Commission's move to implement the Supreme Court's directive to make
candidates disclose their antecedents, including criminal records.
(Source: www.tehelka.com.)
Rule of Law in New Iraq
Iraq - Exiled Iraqi officers meeting in London have backed US efforts to remove
Saddam Hussein, but promised they would not seek to replace him with another
military regime. The 60 former senior officers approved a military charter of
honour, declaring their readiness to join 'any effort to establish a new
democratic federal regime, based on the rule of law and civil society'.
(Source: www.guardian.co.uk.)
Reappraising Role of English in Public Law Schools
Malaysia, KL - Universiti Malaya's ('UM's') law faculty dean, Associate
Professor Dr Badariah Sahamid, has spoken of 'an urgent need' to reappraise the
secondary role of the English language as a medium of instruction in public law
schools. She said proficiency in English is increasingly crucial with the
growing importance of international law and cross-border transactions. At
present, UM's law school conducts its lectures in Bahasa Malaysia and tutorials
in English. Students have an option of either language for the examination. Most
of the reading material is in English.
(Source: www.nst.com.my.)
Unhappy Lawyers
Pakistan - Pakistani lawyers continue to fight the government's proposed
constitutional amendments. Their most recent show of solidarity was a one-day
boycott of the country's courts in a protest strike. President Pervez Musharraf
wants to form a national security council, headed by himself, that could
recommend the sacking of the prime minister and his cabinet. The Supreme Court
Bar Association said lawyers would not back the reforms, and that they didn't
recognise what they called the right of a dictator or any other individual to
amend the constitution.
(Source: www.bbc.co.uk.)
Lawyers' Body Under Fire
UK, Scotland - The Law Society of Scotland has been attacked by a legal watchdog
for appearing out of touch and for mounting long and complicated investigations.
Linda Costelloe Baker, the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman, in her annual
report, levelled the criticisms at the lawyers' body. In two-thirds of the cases
referred to her, she found the Law Society had failed to carry out an 'adequate
or a well-managed investigation' into a solicitor.
Mrs Costelloe Baker said there had been a 57% rise in the number of new
complaints to her during the year about the Law Society and other legal bodies.
(Source: www.bbc.co.uk.)
US Lawyers to Pay for Spanking Clients
US - Lawyers' malpractice insurers doing business in Connecticut can breathe a
sigh of relief. They do not have to pay claims against attorneys who spank their
clients. A federal judge has ruled spanking is not covered by lawyers'
malpractice insurance policies, even if it is done under the bizarre pretext of
preparing a client to testify. The ruling stemmed from a case in which a lawyer
allegedly pulled his client across his lap, lifted her skirt and repeatedly
slapped her buttocks to keep her from fidgeting in an effort to make her
testimony more believable. The woman sued her lawyer for emotional distress from
the episode and he agreed to a US$250,000 settlement. (Source:
www.thestar.com.my.)
Judges, Lawyers Serving More Often as Jurors
US, Los Angeles - Lawyers and judges in Los Angeles County are now pulling their
weight on juries, answering the call at the same rate as the general population,
the Los Angeles Superior Court reported. The court reported a 68% rate of
response from judges called to jury service who went as far as voir dire, 74%
for lawyers, 76% for deputy district attorneys and 63% for deputy public
defenders. That compares with 73% for the general public.
(Source: www.metnews.com.)
Looking Out for Animals in New York
US, New York - The New York State Bar has adopted a new Special Committee on
Animals and the Law - something of a confluence of legal eagles and legal
beagles. Although there are still relatively few attorneys who practice animal
law per se, issues with non-humans are arising with greater frequency in civil
and criminal cases. Animals are often at the centre of landlord-tenant squabbles
and divorce settlements. There are issues over the treatment of farm and
laboratory animals and wildlife, as well as cases of malpractice against
veterinarians. (Source: www6.law.com.)
Vietnamese Lawyers Call for End to Israeli Aggression
Vietnam, Hanoi - Vietnamese lawyers have expressed deep concern over the
serious escalation of Israeli military aggression against the Palestinians. In a
statement, the Vietnamese Lawyers' Association called on Israel to put an
immediate end to its military acts and withdraw all of its troops from
Palestinian land.
(Source: vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn.)