#MALAYSIA: For Some Offenses, Mandatory Death Penalty Abolished

[world politics news] 

The Dewan Rakyat, or lower house, of Malaysia’s Parliament on Monday approved legal reforms to abolish the mandatory death penalty for some offences.

The Dewan Negara, or upper house, will now take up the legislation, and if it passes there, it will be sent to the king to be signed into law. It is widely expected to be passed by the upper house.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#AUSTRALIA: Queensland Toughens Domestic Abuse Laws

[world politics news]

A package of domestic violence reforms passed in the Queensland state parliament will strengthen protection for victims.

The changes will expand the definition of domestic and family abuse to include a "pattern of behavior" and will strengthen the offense of stalking.

The amendments also strengthen the court's ability to consider previous domestic violence or criminal history and to award costs to avoid further abuse to victims.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Netanyahu "Open To Talks" On Controversial Judicial Reforms

[world politics news]

 
Addressing the public amid increasingly rancorous political divisions, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said he was open to talks on his government’s efforts to radically restructure the judicial system, while blaming his rivals for the lack of negotiations — but signaling at the same time that the coalition would continue with its legislative push, despite President Isaac Herzog calling for the process to be temporarily halted.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Justice Minister Launches Reform Of Legal System

[world politics news]

Justice Minister Yariv Levin announced his plans for judicial reform on January 4, and the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee held an introductory session on January 11. Levin and Simcha Rothman, the committee’s chairman, on January 11 and 12 published draft texts of three different laws that include all of the parts of the reform that were announced so far and are intended as a “basis for discussion.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SIERRALEONE: Parliament Abolishes Death Penalty

[world politics news]

Sierra Leonean lawmakers voted to abolish the death penalty Friday, becoming the latest African country to move toward banning capital punishment.

A majority of MPs voted in favor of an amendment abolishing the death penalty, according to a journalist who was present in the chamber.

Capital punishment will be replaced with life imprisonment or a minimum 30-year jail term for crimes such as murder or mutiny.

It has been more than 20 years since an execution has taken place in Sierra Leone.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UK: New Law Has Mandatory Minimum Sentences And No Early Release For Terror Convicts

[world politics news]

The new Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act ends the prospect of early release for anyone convicted of a serious terror offense and forces them to spend their whole term in jail.

The most dangerous offenders – such as those found guilty of preparing or carrying out acts of terrorism where lives were lost or at risk – now face a minimum of 14 years in prison and up to 25 years on licence, with stricter supervision.

Justice Secretary & Lord Chancellor, Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, said:

Those who seek to kill and maim innocent people in the name of some warped ideology have no place in our society.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SOUTHAFRICA: Citing Nigerian Author's TED Talk, High Court Says Child Abuse Victims Cannot Be Named While Minors

[world politics news]

Child offenders, child victims and child witnesses may not be named - even in adulthood, the Constitutional Court has ruled.

To sum up their majority ruling, the judges quoted Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who during a TED talk in 2009 said: “Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanise. Stories can break the dignity of people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.”

The case was between the Center for Child Law and some of South Africa’s biggest media houses — Media24 and Independent — on if and when child offenders, child victims and child witnesses, can be publicly identified. The mass media houses argued that the prohibition violated freedom of speech and open justice principles.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#MEXICO: Finance Ministry May Now Blacklist Those Suspected Of Money Laundering

[world politics news]

Mexico’s parliament has voted in favor of expanding the power of the country’s finance ministry to allow the blacklisting of individuals suspected of money laundering and other financial crimes.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#INDIA: Bill Would Make Sexual Offenses Gender Neutral

[world politics news]

A bill introduced in the Lower House of parliament proposes amendments in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Criminal procedure Code and the Indian Evidence Act to ensure that the words "any man" and "any woman" in the sections relating to sexual offenses in the laws are changed to read as "any person".

This would extend the protection of the law to women and men, as well as to transgender persons for the first time in India.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Gov't Caves On Mainland Extradition Bill Over Fears China Will Use It To Crush Dissent

[world politics news]

Hong Kong's government is backing down and suspending its highly unpopular extradition bill after a week of large-scale demonstrations and political violence in the streets. The government maintains the legislation's intention of plugging legal loopholes is still valid. Many, however, feared it would allow Communist China to demand the extradition of Hong Kong opponents of the regime to face unfair trails on the mainland.

Hong Kong is self-governing, but is growing ever closer to Communist China and will eventually merge with it in 2047, 50 years after the 1997 British hand-over control to China with a guarantee of "one nation, two systems" governing the island city-state.

At a press conference Saturday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, using the words "suspension" and "halting" interchangeably, admitted her government had not communicated the need for the bill well enough. "I feel deep sorrow and regret that deficiencies in our work – and various other factors – have stirred up substantial controversies," she said.

The reversal came in the face of two massive protests last week, one ending in violence and injuries to 80 people.

Organisers of the historic march on June 9, the Civil Human Rights Front, and the pro-democracy Confederation of Trade Unions have vowed to carry on with another march this Sunday.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#USA: #Colorado Bills Allow Pot Delivery, Make All Schedule I/II Drugs Possession Felonies Misdemeanors

[world politics news]

Colorado has become the first state to officially establish a framework for marijuana social consumption spaces.

In addition, the state legalized weed delivery services and permitted public investments into Colorado’s cannabis companies, which was previously banned. Gov. Polis also signed several pieces of legislation that reformed the state’s drug policies, including knocking down felony charges for possession of Schedule I/II substances to mere misdemeanors.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Organizers Hope For 500k Marchers Against Extradition Law Sunday

[world politics news]

OrganiXers of a mass rally on Sunday against the government’s extradition bill are hoping up to half a million people or more will join, matching the turnout at an anti-establishment protest in 2003 that led to a previous Hong Kong leader stepping down.

The extradition bill will allow Hong Kong to send suspects on a case-by-case basis to jurisdictions with which the city does not have an extradition agreement, including the mainland and Taiwan. They fear the Communist government could use the new arrangement to target political opponents or that suspects would be sent to the mainland where they may not receive a fair trial.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BRUNEI: New Sharia Laws Allow Stoning Of Gays, Amputation For Thieves

[world politics news]

A new Sharia-based law in the sultanate of Brunei allows for the stoning to death of homosexuals and the amputation of limbs for thieves.

The small oil-rich Asian nation begin implementing Islamic Sharia law in 2014 and homosexuality is already punishable by 10 years in prison. But human rights groups warn that this new round of laws are "vicious" in nature.

The nation's 73-year-old leader, Hassanal Bolkaih, banned the public celebration of Christmas in 2015.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CANADA: Bill In Parliament Could Suspend Criminal Records For Pot Possession

[world politics news]

Canada could suspend criminal records for marijuana possession under a bill introduced in Parliament, fulfilling a promise to ease offenses made when adult-use cannabis was legalized in October 2018. Liberal Party Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale has introduced C-93 on March 1st in the House of Commons to offer free and expedited record suspensions for Canadians with a conviction for simple possession of cannabis on their criminal record.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ITALY: "Stand Your Ground" Style Self-Defense Bill Passes Lower House

[world politics news]

The Chamber of Deputies, Italy's lower house of parliament, has voted in favor of a draft law on self-defense in the home.

The bill specifies that "defense is always legitimate" in a person's home. It aims to protect a person who acts in self-defense in response to a perceived threat from an intruder.

Under current legislation, a person who harms an intruder, even in cases of self-defense, can be held responsible for damages.

The bill is reminiscent of USA's "stand your ground" laws, which often allow a person to use lethal force to defend themselves against an intruder on their property.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#MALAYSIA: Gov't Official Says Death Penalty Could Be Abolished Soon By Parliament, Calls For Executions To Cease Immediately

[world politics news]

Parliament is likely to take up a historic bill to abolish the death penalty in Malaysia as it begins its session next week, a government official says. Liew Vui Keong, a minister in the Prime Minister's Department, says the government hopes to present the bill soon to the Dewan Rakyat, the parliament's lower house. Keong went on record as saying that all executions should be put on hold and some cases commuted or dismissed completely, depending on the severity of the crimes.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#GHANA: Parliament Ready To Vote On Creation Of Special Prosecutor's Office

[world politics news]

A bill is being readied in Parliament to create an Office of the Special Prosecutor, which backers say will enable the government deal with issues of corruption, especially among state officials. Under the bill, an independent prosecutor will head the office and prosecute corruption offenses by state officers. It was one of the major promises made by Pres. Akufo-Addo as part of his plans to deal with corruption in government. One of the bill's few critics is former Attorney General Martin Amidu, who says a clause limits the number of crimes covered, and future presidents may interfere with the office. Backers say the bill is deliberately limited to prevent overreach.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#POLAND: Pres. Duda Vetoes 2 Controversial Legal Reforms After Mass Protests

[world politics news]

Poland's President Andrzej Duda has unexpectedly vetoed two out of three contentious bills that are widely seen as assaults on the independence of the judicial system and are part of a planned legal overhaul by the ruling party that has sparked days of nationwide protests.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#POLAND: Bill Seeks To Reform "Corrupt" Judiciary That Serves "Only The Elites"

[world politics news]

Poland's parliament has approved a bill to give MPs and the justice minister the power to appoint judges without consulting judicial circles. Opposition parties and human rights groups say this would erode the independence of the judiciary. The governing Law and Justice party says the reforms are needed because the judiciary is corrupt and serves only the elite.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#TURKEY: Oppo. Ldr. Echoes Erdogan's Call To Bring Back Death Penalty; Killing EU Prospects

[world politics news]

The leader of one of Turkey’s main opposition parties says Turkey should bring back the death penalty. Speaking to his Nationalist Movement Party's parliamentary group meeting, Devlet Bahceli called for the ruling Justice and Development Party to immediately bring a bill to reinstate capital punishment to parliament. Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also spoken about reinstating capital punishment, especially to punish plotters of last year’s failed coup. The European Union has repeatedly warned that reinstatement would mean the end of Turkey’ EU accession, but Erdogan has brushed off those warnings.

[FULL STORY HERE]