Friday 29th of March 2024

judicial juggling .....

 

judicial hijinks .....


from Al Jazeera …..

Pakistan changes tack on top judge [AFP]

The chief judge of Pakistan's Supreme Court has been put on compulsory leave, not suspended, the government has said amid increasing protests over his removal on March 9.

The judge's removal angered many and triggered violent protests on Friday and Saturday.

The clarification came a day after Pervez Musharraf, the president, defended his decision to remove Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry over unspecified allegations of abuse of power.

Wasi Zafar, Pakistan's minister of law, justice and human rights, said the country's law required judges facing complaints to be put on compulsory leave.

"Whenever a reference is pending against any judge, he can be sent on compulsory leave."

Barricades set up around Chaudhry's official residence were also removed by the police on Sunday and officials said he was free to leave his home.

speedy gonzales

From the washington post

E-Mails Reveal Tumult In Firings and Aftermath

By Dan Eggen and Amy GoldsteinWashington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, March 21, 2007; Page A01

 

On the morning of Feb. 7, the day after a combative Senate hearing over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty was looking on the bright side.

"Paul reports this morning that he's hearing good reports from the Committee," a senior Justice official reported in an e-mail. "In particular, Sen. Schumer's counsel told him that the issue has basically run its course."

 

The little US dictator

from Al Jazeera

Bush shields aides in lawyer furore

George Bush, the US president, has said he will block any attempts to get his aides to testify under oath over accusations senior government lawyers were fired for political reasons.

"I will oppose any attempts to subpoena White House officials," George Bush said on Tuesday.

Several lawyers removed by the US Justice Department headed by Alberto Gonzales, the attorney-general and close aide to Bush, have claimed they were sacked after refusing to launch what they say were politically-motivated corruption inquiries involving Democrats...

"Successfull" dictator...

from the poor ABC

 

Anger at ANU honour for Lee

Academics at the Australian National University (ANU) have criticised a decision to award an honorary doctorate to the former prime minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew.

Mr Lee is visiting Australia next week and will meet political and business leaders.

He will receive an honorary doctorate of laws at ANU next Wednesday.

A senior lecturer in international relations at the ANU, Michael McKinley, says the award is not appropriate.

"Lee Kuan Yew has not encouraged intellectual openness in his own country, he has run a really quite repressive regime in some areas," he said.

"He has overseen remarkable progress in Singapore economically, I wouldn't extend that into the field of society or community."

Mr McKinley says Mr Lee had run an oppressive regime.

"It's one thing to admit the achievements that Lee Kuan Yew has engineered and has been responsible for," he said.

"That does not actually imply that you have to recognise him in a university which must remain dedicated to academic freedom and the ability to speak openly beyond matters of expertise which the university has."