Category Archives: Law

Crabs in a bucket

July 4, 2009 – 12:44 pm

In comments on my post on Michael Jackson, Su mentioned the “crabs in a bucket” syndrome that affects race relations in the US - the notion that those who were trying to escape from bad circumstances undermined others in the same predicament to further their own escape. Such a vivid metaphor for anyone who has [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Human/Civil rights, Public Policy, Racism | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Anonymous no more…

June 18, 2009 – 9:02 pm

I can’t believe there is a case called The Author of A Blog v Times Newspapers Limited [2009] EWHC 1358 (QB). But there is.
“The Author of A Blog” cited as the claimant was the pseudonymous author of a blog known as “Night Jack”. He was a police officer whose blog provided an inside view of [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Blogging, England, Internet, Media, Privacy, Society, Technology | Tagged , , , , | Comments (26)

Home Grown

June 12, 2009 – 5:59 am

From Little Green Footballs:
As we noted last Sunday, when murder suspect Scott Roeder was arrested, the phone number of Operation Rescue was discovered on a Post-It note in his car.
Now it turns out that this wasn’t just the phone number of the Operation Rescue office, but of a specific person: Cheryl Sullenger, the senior policy [...]

By DeusExMacintosh | Also posted in Funnies, Personal liberty, Politics, Religion, Terrorism | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (33)

A cunning plan…

June 4, 2009 – 4:18 pm

I’m not a fan of the reality TV genre. It’s lazy television. It makes me want to come out in hives half the time. How can people embarrass themselves like that?
It looks like reality TV might be going the way of the dodo in France. A French court has ruled that being a reality TV [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Media, Popular culture | Tagged , , , | Comments (19)

Predictably enough…

May 31, 2009 – 3:55 pm

President Obama has appointed Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court to replace David Souter. Predictably enough, elements in the Republican Party have questioned her appointment. The criticisms are not of her gender and ethnicity per se, but of certain comments she made at a talk in 2001 about the gender and ethnicity of judges:
Newt [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Feminism, Society | Tagged , , , | Comments (13)

Ooops, too many zeros…

May 22, 2009 – 12:13 pm

In the Sydney Morning Herald today:
A New Zealand couple who fled the country after receiving millions of dollars in a banking error may have had a 16-day head start on police.
It also emerged the couple may now be in China, and that other family members were also missing.
The unnamed couple, believed to be Asian man [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Fark!, Restitution | Comments (18)

Monday Funnies: The Right Dishonourable Members

May 18, 2009 – 9:56 pm

David Cameron has called for a wider crackdown on MP’s allowances as he and Gordon Brown clashed on the issue at prime minister’s questions…
The exchanges came after days of damaging allegations over MPs expenses.
A growing number of MPs from all parties have agreed to pay back thousands of pounds claimed in expenses after reports based [...]

By DeusExMacintosh | Also posted in Education, Funnies, Politics, Society | Tagged , , | Comments (18)

What crime? They were just breaking the Ramadan fast with a BBQ! (or Things to do in Ramadan when you’re dense…)

May 16, 2009 – 5:58 am

A radical Muslim who dressed his baby daughter in a hat with “I love al-Qaeda” on it tried to firebomb the home of the publisher of a controversial novel about the Prophet Mohammed.
Ali Beheshti, 40, along with Abrar Mirza, 22, have admitted conspiracy to recklessly damage property and endanger life after they poured diesel through [...]

By DeusExMacintosh | Also posted in Books, England, Free Speech, Funnies, Literature, Personal liberty, Politics, Religion, Terrorism | Tagged , , | Comments (49)

Judging potential judges

May 13, 2009 – 2:10 pm

Justice Souter of the US Supreme Court is about to retire, and President Obama must appoint a successor. As soon as Souter J announced his retiremet, the speculation started:
President Barack Obama pledged Friday to name a Supreme Court justice who combines “empathy and understanding” with an impeccable legal background to succeed liberal David Souter, whose [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Children, Feminism, Motherhood | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)

Artist’s view of the court

May 9, 2009 – 9:12 am

Saint (via Boynton) pointed me to this lovely whimsical commentary by artist Maira Kalman at And the Pursuit of Happiness about her visit to the US Supreme Court. My favourite line is:
In the Court the Lawyers are arguing cases that I kind of Understand. But Not Really. Not Really is putting it mildly. But that [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Art | Comments (14)