In Custodia Legis
Official blog from the Law Library of Congress
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Law Criminalizing Torture, Abduction, and Discrimination Passed (Apr. 30, 2013) by Issam Saliba
The Libyan National Congress approved Law No. 10 of 2013, Concerning the Criminalization of Torture, Forced Abduction, and Discrimination, which was issued on April 14, 2013.
Pursuant ...Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Libya
General Prosecutor Seeks Lifting of Immunity of a Member of Parliament (Feb. 11, 2013) by Issam Saliba
On February 2, 2013, Boutros Harb, a Member of Parliament in
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Lebanon
Constitutional Law Court Newly Established in Jordan (Dec. 03, 2012) by Issam Saliba
King Abdullah II of
Topic: Courts
Jurisdiction: Jordan
Acquittal of Policewoman Accused of Torturing Journalist (Nov. 23, 2012) by Issam Saliba
On October 22, 2012, the Grand Criminal Court in
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Bahrain
Constitutional Court Objects to Its Status in New Draft Constitution (Nov. 01, 2012) by Issam Saliba
The assembly in charge of drafting a new constitution for Egypt released a preliminary draft, available in Arabic, on its website (last visited Oct. 25, ...
Topic: Constitutional law
Jurisdiction: Egypt
Penalties Increased for Attacking Military Personnel (Jul. 20, 2012) by Issam Saliba
Pursuant to articles 221 and 339 of the Bahrain Criminal Law No. 15 of 1976, an assault on the person of a public employee (including military ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Bahrain
Blasphemy Against Islam (Jun. 18, 2012) by Issam Saliba
On May 3, 2012, the Kuwait National Assembly (the country's parliament) passed a law amending the Penal Code that had been issued by Law No. 16 ...
Topic: Religion
Jurisdiction: Kuwait
New Sentences Handed Down in Case Against Alleged Spies for Iran (May. 31, 2012) by Issam Saliba
A Kuwait appellate court recently issued its decision in a case involving seven people accused of spying for Iran. The court reduced the sentences of three ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Kuwait
Constitutional Amendments Issued (May. 24, 2012) by Issam Saliba
On May 22, 2012, the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had hailed constitutional amendments issued by the monarch of Bahrain. The ...
Topic: Constitutional law
Jurisdiction: Bahrain
Legislative Attempt to Help Convicted Terrorists (May. 18, 2012) by Issam Saliba
According to an official source in the Egyptian government, a number of Islamist members of Parliament are attempting to pass legislation granting amnesty to people convicted ...
Topic: Terrorism
Jurisdiction: Egypt
Release of Hizbollah Activist (May. 14, 2012) by Issam Saliba
An Iraqi court has decided to release an activist affiliated with the Lebanese political party Hizbollah who was detained and handed over to the Iraqi government ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Iraq
Scholar States Churches Must Be Destroyed (Mar. 19, 2012) by Issam Saliba
In response to a question on March 11, 2012, the highest religious authority in Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abd al-Aziz Al-Asheikh, Mufti and ...
Topic: Religion
Jurisdiction: Saudi Arabia
Judicial Authority Warns Parliament (Feb. 17, 2012) by Issam Saliba
On February 8, 2012, it was reported that the Chief of the Supreme Judicial Council and President of the Court of Cassation in Egypt, Judge Husam ...
Topic: Legal systems
Jurisdiction: Egypt
New Constitution Drafted (Jun. 29, 2011) by Issam Saliba
On June 17, 2011, the King of Morocco outlined the changes offered in a new constitution that will be voted on in a referendum scheduled for ...
Topic: Constitutional law
Jurisdiction: Morocco
Arrest of Woman for Driving (Jun. 02, 2011) by Issam Saliba
Manal al-Sharif, a Saudi woman, was arrested in Dammam on May 21, 2011, for posting a clip on YouTube showing her driving a car. Dammam is ...
Topic: Gender equality
Jurisdiction: Saudi Arabia
Call for a Boycott of Municipal Elections (May. 05, 2011) by Issam Saliba
In a petition published on the Internet, 67 Saudi activists, journalists, and intellectuals called for a boycott of the upcoming Saudi municipal council elections scheduled for ...
Topic: Elections
Jurisdiction: Saudi Arabia
Constitutional Amendments Passed (Mar. 25, 2011) by Issam Saliba
On March 19, 2011, the Egyptian people participated in a public referendum and approved, by a majority of 77% of the votes cast, amendments to the ...
Topic: Constitutional law
Jurisdiction: Egypt
The Regime Invokes Sharia Law to Prevent Public Protest (Mar. 10, 2011) by Issam Saliba
In a declaration issued on March 6, 2011, the Council of Senior Religious Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia warned against "deviant intellectual and partisan ...
Topic: National security
Jurisdiction: Saudi Arabia
Chief Judge Makes Controversial Statement on Legality of Special Tribunal for Lebanon (Nov. 08, 2010) by Issam Saliba
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is a mixed international/domestic tribunal whose jurisdiction is limited to investigating and prosecuting one specific domestic crime the bombing ...
Topic: Courts
Jurisdiction: Lebanon
Hariri Withdraws Accusations Against Syria (Sep. 21, 2010) by Issam Saliba
In a press interview conducted on September 6, 2010, Saad al-Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, acknowledged that his accusation that Syria was behind the assassination ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Lebanon
Citizenship Denied to Children of Lebanese Mothers (May. 24, 2010) by Issam Saliba
On June 16, 2009, a Lebanese court of first instance issued a landmark decision granting Lebanese citizenship to the children of a Lebanese mother married to ...
Topic: Nationality and citizenship
Jurisdiction: Lebanon
Democracy Iraqi Style (May. 10, 2010) by Issam Saliba
On May 5, 2010, ALJAZEERA reported that two of the three largest parliamentary blocks who won seats in the recent legislative election in Iraq, the State ...
Topic: Elections
Jurisdiction: Iraq
Veil Not a Legal Obligation (Oct. 13, 2009) by Issam Saliba
Dr. Mohammed Sayyed Tantatwi, the head of Al-Azhar in Cairo, the most prestigious religious university in the Sunni Muslim world, ordered a student in one of ...
Topic: Religion
Jurisdiction: Egypt
Contribution by Muslims to Build a Church Allowed in Islam (Aug. 26, 2009) by Issam Saliba
Sheikh Mohammed Tantawi, head of the prestigious Muslim university Al-Azhar in Cairo, asserted that a Muslim is permitted to contribute to the building of a church ...
Topic: Religion
Jurisdiction: Egypt
Court Rules Children Have Right to Acquire Citizenship of Mother (Jul. 20, 2009) by Issam Saliba
In the first decision of its kind in Lebanon, a court of first instance recently issued a judgment giving children of a deceased non-Lebanese father the ...
Topic: Nationality and citizenship
Jurisdiction: Lebanon
Marriage of an Eight-Year-Old Girl Annulled (May. 06, 2009) by Issam Saliba
On May 1, 2009, it was reported that an arranged marriage in Saudi Arabia between a man in his fifties and a girl aged eight ended ...
Topic: Family
Jurisdiction: Saudi Arabia
Law Being Drafted on Citizenship Issue (Mar. 27, 2009) by Issam Saliba
The Woman and Child Committee of the Lebanese Parliament is in the process of debating a draft law to give the children of Lebanese women married ...
Topic: Nationality and citizenship
Jurisdiction: Lebanon
Judgment Against Former Guantanamo Detainee (Mar. 12, 2009) by Issam Saliba
On February 5, 2009, the Criminal Chamber of the Appellate Court of Sala, a suburb of Rabat, Morocco, has confirmed the judgment issued on May 1, ...
Topic: Terrorism
Jurisdiction: Morocco
Religious Edict (Fatwa) Against American/Iraqi Security Agreement (Oct. 24, 2008) by Issam Saliba
In response to a request sent to him by some members of the Iraqi Parliament, a Shiite cleric in Lebanon, Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, recently issued a ...
Topic: International law
Jurisdiction: Iraq
Campaign to Amend Constitution (Aug. 27, 2008) by Issam Saliba
It was reported on August 27, 2008, that at a massive meeting held in the city of Blida, the ...
Topic: Constitutional law
Jurisdiction: Algeria
Maliki Statement on Ending Terrorism (Jul. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
In June 2008, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, said that a deep understanding of the Islamic religion and law will lead to ending terrorism and ...
Topic: Terrorism
Jurisdiction: Iraq
Detention of Bin Haj for Describing Judge as Liar (Jul. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On June 17, 2008, Ali Bin Haj, the second in command of the banned "Islamic Front for Rescue" in Algeria was temporarily arrested by members of ...
Topic: Constitutional law
Jurisdiction: Algeria
Refusal to Appoint Non-Muslims to Judiciary (Jul. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On June 17, 2008, the Federal National Council of the United Arab Emirates, a consultative body, held a closed session that the media was not allowed ...
Topic: Courts
Jurisdiction: United Arab Emirates
Kurdistan Criminalizes Misuse of Communication Devices (Jun. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On May 19, 2008, the National Council (parliament) of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq unanimously adopted a law to punish those who use cellular telephones to ...
Topic: Communications and electronic information
Jurisdiction: Iraq
Opposition Leader Al-Turabi Arrested (Jun. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On May 12, 2008, Sudanese security forces arrested the leader of the People's Congress opposition party, Hassan al-Turabi, along with ten of his senior assistants. Mahjoub ...
Topic: Elections
Jurisdiction: Sudan
New Penal Code Opposed (Jun. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
Libyan legal activists and politicians recently warned against the enactment of a proposed new penal code, claiming it infringes on public liberties, and asked for constitutional ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Libya
Trial of Tariq Aziz (Jun. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On May 20, 2008, an Iraqi special tribunal began the trial of seven former officials of the Saddam Hussein regime. Among the defendants is the well ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Iraq
Political Associations (May. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On April 16, 2008, the Jordanian Ministry of the Interior declared that only 14 political parties have met the conditions imposed by Law No. 19 of ...
Topic: Elections
Jurisdiction: Jordan
Rights of the Accused (May. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
The National Association for Human Rights in Saudi Arabia published a booklet in Arabic titled Know Your Rights, to inform people of their rights ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Saudi Arabia
Military Personnel Allowed to Grow Beards (May. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
Ending a prohibition going back 70 years, the Bahraini army has allowed military personnel to grow beards. According to the decision issued by the General Command ...
Topic: Military
Jurisdiction: Bahrain
Government Justifies Detention of Officers (May. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On April 15, 2008, the Lebanese government asserted that the arrest of four high-ranking military officers in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Lebanon
Woman Arrested for Having Coffee with Colleague (Mar. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On February 4, 2008, Yara, a female financial consultant for a company in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was arrested by agents of the official Saudi Commission for ...
Topic: Women
Jurisdiction: Saudi Arabia
Cabinet Condemns Mourning of Mughniyah (Mar. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
In its meeting on February 18, 2008, the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers condemned the eulogizing in one of the local Shiite religious places of gathering (Husseiniya) ...
Topic: Terrorism
Jurisdiction: Kuwait
Muslim Brotherhood Members Arrested (Mar. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On February 17, 2008, the Egyptian security forces conducted a wave of arrests against officials of the Muslim Brotherhood group. The round of arrests, the second ...
Topic: Elections
Jurisdiction: Egypt
New Charges Against Shaker al-Absi (Mar. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
The General Prosecutor in Lebanon has filed charges seeking the death penalty against the leader of Fath al-Islam, Shaker al-Absi, and three others for their role ...
Topic: Terrorism
Jurisdiction: Lebanon
Police Officers Jailed for Parading Detainee (Feb. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On January 5, 2008, an Egyptian court sentenced a police major, Yousri Ahmed Issa, to five years in prison and two police officers to one year ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Egypt
Collective Executive Council (Feb. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On January 18, 2008, Iraq announced the establishment of "the Executive Council for the Administration of the State" or, as described by Iraqi President Jalal al-Talibani, ...
Topic: Government organization
Jurisdiction: Iraq
Court Releases Militants Convicted in Plot Against US Ambassador (Feb. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On Monday January 14, 2008, an appeals court in Yemen ordered the release of Hezam Ali Hassan and Khaled Saleh, after they had served more than ...
Topic: Terrorism
Jurisdiction: Yemen
Federal Judgeship for Women (Feb. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On January 6, 2008, the Minister of Justice of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mohammed Bin Nakhira al-Daheri, said that the Ministry of Justice is amending ...
Topic: Gender equality
Jurisdiction: United Arab Emirates
Verdict in German Train Bombings (Jan. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On December 18, 2007, the felonies court in Beirut, Lebanon, issued a verdict in the case brought against five men accused of attempting to bomb German ...
Topic: Terrorism
Jurisdiction: Lebanon
Military Court Dismisses Terrorism Charges (Jan. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On December 16, 2007, the High Military Court in Egypt, in a surprise move, dismissed the terrorism and money-laundering charges against 40 of the Muslim Brotherhood ...
Topic: Terrorism
Jurisdiction: Egypt
Christian Shops Burned (Jan. 02, 2008) by Issam Saliba
On December 16, 2007, tension between Christians and Muslims in the southern city of Isna in Egypt led to the burning of Christian-owned shops and the ...
Topic: Religion
Jurisdiction: Egypt
Iraqi Official Admits the Use of Violence (Dec. 02, 2007) by Issam Saliba
General Abdel-Karim Khalaf, a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior in Iraq, admitted that some officers in his Ministry had used violence to extract confessions ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Iraq
Rape Victim Sentenced to 200 Lashes (Dec. 02, 2007) by Issam Saliba
An appeals court in Saudi Arabia has doubled the sentence to 200 lashes and six months in prison for a Saudi woman who was gang-raped. The ...
Topic: Women
Jurisdiction: Saudi Arabia
Fatwa Against Marriage to Israeli Women (Dec. 02, 2007) by Issam Saliba
A former undersecretary of Al-Azhar (an Egyptian University connected to a mosque in Cairo), Sheikh Farhat Saeed al-Munji, issued a fatwa (Islamic religious edict) in which ...
Topic: Family
Jurisdiction: Egypt
Court Convicts Al-Qaeda Members (Dec. 02, 2007) by Issam Saliba
A Yemeni court with national security and terrorist jurisdiction convicted 34 suspects of membership in al-Qaeda and of planning to blow up oil installations in the ...
Topic: Terrorism
Jurisdiction: Yemen
Succession Rules (Nov. 02, 2007) by Issam Saliba
On October 8, 2007, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia issued by-laws governing the work of the political body Haiat al-Baiat (Allegiance Commission), set up last year ...
Topic: Government organization
Jurisdiction: Saudi Arabia
Al-Qaeda Leader Turns Himself In (Nov. 02, 2007) by Issam Saliba
On October 16, 2007, Yemeni sources announced that Jamal al-Badawi, an al-Qaeda leader who is the mastermind behind the escape from a Yemen prison in February ...
Topic: Terrorism
Jurisdiction: Yemen
Tribal Council Fines Journalist (Nov. 02, 2007) by Issam Saliba
In a precedent, the first of its kind in journalism, a customary tribal judicial council in Sinai has fined a journalist member of al-Byadiah tribe, who ...
Topic: Communications and electronic information
Jurisdiction: Egypt
Future Borders (Nov. 02, 2007) by Issam Saliba
In an interview on Palestinian television, Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, announced that he wants to establish an independent Palestinian state on 6,205 square ...
Topic: Border zones
Jurisdiction: Palestine
