Judi

• Senator Marsha Blackburn has demanded transparency from the Federal Judicial Center regarding a climate training manual developed in partnership with the Environmental Law Institute (ELI). • Blackburn is seeking data on how many federal judges participated in the Climate Judiciary Project and whether the center was aware of ELI's alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. • The inquiry reflects concerns that judicial continuing education is being influenced by "political, left-wing programming" from foreign-linked groups rather than impartial legal administration.

• Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) has reintroduced three bills designed to increase transparency and curb conflicts of interest within the federal judiciary. • Two of the proposed measures would prohibit Supreme Court justices and lower court judges from overseeing litigation in which they hold a financial interest. • The legislation seeks to expand existing executive branch conflict-of-interest rules to the judiciary and would allow for public records requests.

• Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced via Facebook that he intends to invite world-class chess player Judit Polgár to serve as the country's president. • The Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with Polgár on Monday to formally request her acceptance of the role. • This appointment is intended as a transitional measure to lead the nation until a new constitution is officially adopted.

• King Abdullah II issued a royal decree appointing a 12-member committee, including the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Senate, to oversee constitutional and electoral reforms in Jordan. • To combat widespread election forgery, the committee decided to revise the Law of the Independent Election and Polling Results Commission during the first half of 2014. • The reform aims to ensure functional and administrative independence by staffing the Commission with highly qualified judges.

• Judicial Watch successfully used a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit to force the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to release eight pages of internal documents. • The released records reveal that an ODNI task force identified specific vulnerabilities within U.S. election systems that could be exploited by foreign adversaries. • The documents indicate that the Intelligence Community intentionally withheld information regarding these security flaws from the American public.

• A panel of legal experts reviewed the Supreme Court's recent term, characterizing it as a period of "judicial supremacy" that significantly eroded the legislative power of Congress. • Key legal setbacks highlighted include the gutting of the Voting Rights Act in *Callais and Milligan* and the expansion of "unitary executive" power in *Trump v. Slaughter*. • Experts argue the Court has rewritten the Reconstruction Amendments and increasingly allowed its "shadow docket" to influence formal merits decisions without sufficient justification.

• The NCERT released a revised Part 2 of its Class 8 Social Science textbook on Tuesday, significantly altering the chapter on the judiciary. • Following an intervention by the Supreme Court, the council removed critical framing regarding "corruption" and recast the material as a conventional civics lesson. • The updated Chapter 4, "The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society," now focuses on constitutional remedies, courts, tribunals, and dispute resolution.

• The author argues that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is currently functioning under the influence of the ruling political executive, leading to a sidelining of judicial oversight. • To counter this, the text proposes elevating the "right to vote" to a fundamental right, drawing on the constitutional vision of B.R. Ambedkar. • This shift is deemed necessary to ensure the highest level of constitutional protection and to allow for more rigorous judicial review of electoral processes.

High court hears identities of women accusing Andrew and Tristan Tate of rape withheld for fear they could be revealed Andrew and Tristan Tate are not being told the names of the women who have accused them of rape and human trafficking over fears the brothers might publish them on social media, the high court has heard.The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised charges against the Tates in March 2024 in relation to the women’s allegations but their accusers’ identities have not been disclosed to the brothers or their representatives. The Tates have denied any wrongdoing. Continue reading...

• The Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End is being renamed to honor Dame Judi Dench, the Oscar-winning British actress. • Chief Executive Eleanor Lang stated the move aims to better celebrate brilliant women in the West End and ensure Dench's legacy inspires future generations. • Dench, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for *Shakespeare in Love* (1998), expressed deep emotion over the tribute to a venue she holds dear.

James Bond actor, who is only the second non-royal woman to be celebrated in this way, called the honour ‘truly overwhelming’Dame Judi Dench is to have a West End theatre renamed after her, becoming only the second non-royal woman to be honoured in such a way.The Shaftesbury theatre will be known as the Judi Dench theatre from February 2027 in celebration of the actor’s “unparalleled contribution to British theatre and the performing arts”. Continue reading...

• The PSOE party, through spokesperson Montse Mínguez, has denounced an "accelerated judicial calendar" targeting the Spanish Government and left-wing figures. • Mínguez claims there is an unusual speed in the processing of legal cases affecting the left, which she suggests is a deliberate attempt to wear down the administration before the summer. • The party is defending the presumption of innocence for those currently under investigation, arguing that the timing of these judicial actions is politically motivated.

Family says host of more than 500 episodes of travel show leaves behind ‘giant suitcase of the happiest memories’The TV presenter Judith Chalmers, who spent almost three decades persuading British people to go on holiday as the host of Wish You Were Here … ?, has died at the age of 90 after living with Alzheimer’s in her final years.Her family said she died peacefully at home on Thursday, surrounded by “the family she loved so much”, after becoming ill in recent weeks. They added that she would be greatly missed but left behind “a giant suitcase of the happiest memories”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Move to establish board comes after criticism that Lammy’s plan to slash jury trials will lead to increase in racial and class biasDavid Lammy and the most senior judge in England and Wales are drawing up plans to accelerate the recruitment of minority ethnic and working-class solicitors into the judiciary.A new judicial and legal diversity board, chaired by Lammy, who is the first black lord chancellor, and Sue Carr, the lady chief justice, has met for the first time to discuss removing barriers for diverse candidates attempting to join the judiciary. Continue reading...

• Taiwan and Paraguay signed three memoranda of understanding on May 8, 2026, in Taipei City to strengthen ties in AI, cybersecurity, and judicial matters. • Agreements cover information security, smart technology, and digital governance cooperation between the two nations. • The pacts aim to expand partnership amid growing needs for secure digital infrastructure and technological collaboration.

• The Union Cabinet approved increasing the Supreme Court's sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges, adding four additional judicial positions. • This expansion aims to address growing judicial backlogs and improve the court's capacity to handle pending cases more efficiently. • The move is seen as a significant step toward reducing case disposal timelines and strengthening India's judicial system.

Without offering details or evidence, US Southern Command described the people killed as ‘narco-terrorists’The US military said on Tuesday it struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three people, in the latest such attack that rights groups label as “extrajudicial killings” and Washington describes as targeting “narco-terrorists”.US Southern Command posted about the strike on social media Tuesday evening, alleging that the vessel struck on Tuesday was operated by “Designated Terrorist Organizations” that it did not identify. Continue reading...

Annalouise Spence allegedly used credit card to make ‘unauthorised purchases of luxury and personal items, including clothing, artwork and jewellery’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe former private secretary of billionaire philanthropist Judith Neilson has been charged with dozens of counts of fraud after she allegedly used a business credit card to make more than $1m of purchases, including luxury clothing, artwork and jewellery.Annalouise Spence, 50, was due to appear at a bail court hearing on Thursday after being charged with 68 counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception. Continue reading...

Referendum result could tarnish PM’s reputation and make winning next year’s general election challenging Italian voters have rejected an overhaul of the country’s judiciary pushed by the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni,, an outcome expected to tarnish her reputation and make winning next year’s general election more challenging.In a two-day referendum, 54.63% of voters said “No” to the reforms to reorganise the judiciary compared with 45.37% for the “Yes” camp. Continue reading...

National referendum is being seen as a de facto confidence vote on the government – and the polls are neck and neckIn the run-up to a referendum in Italy on a government quest to overhaul the judiciary, a campaign flyer circulated online quoting Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, taking aim at judges and feminists. “Judges block the deportations of rapists. Where are the feminists? Vote yes – there will not be another opportunity,” it read.The flyer, posted on the Facebook page of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, a party with neofascist roots, was subsequently removed. But its tone has defined a campaign dominated by inflammatory rhetoric rather than meaningful debate. Continue reading...

The 2024 festival was cancelled after multiple authors pulled out over the non-profit’s stance on the Israel-Gaza warThe literary free speech organization PEN America has announced plans for their 2026 World Voices festival. The four day event will take place in New York and Los Angeles from 29 April to 2 May and feature writers from over 140 countries, with in person appearances from authors including Judith Butler, Bill McKibben, Cory Doctorow, Megha Majumdar and Katie Kitamura.In a press release, the event is billed as a “testament to literature’s ability to unite us, and to counteract the closed mindedness that has resulted in a nationalist maelstrom. It continues to affirm PEN America’s commitment to championing writers and their work.” Continue reading...

• Senate Judiciary Committee convenes hearing on March 17, 2026, titled 'Stealth Stealing: China's Ongoing Theft of U.S. Innovation,' examining intellectual property threats. • The session addresses national security risks from Chinese espionage, amid escalating U.S.-China tensions over trade and technology. • This hearing underscores bipartisan concerns about protecting American innovation, potentially influencing future legislation on tech exports and sanctions.

National Secular Society to launch court action after failure to investigate alleged breaches of academic freedom lawsA university regulator in England has failed to investigate potential breaches of laws protecting academic freedom at a dozen theological colleges and is now facing legal action, the Guardian has learned.The National Secular Society says it is preparing to pursue the Office for Students (OfS) through the courts to act on complaints first made five years ago, arguing that the colleges are ineligible for public funding or government-backed student loans because of their commitment to theological doctrine. Continue reading...