10th Circuit Says Federal Judge Got It Right, Correctly Blocked Okla. Voter Ban on Shariah Law

A federal appeals court in Denver today gave a green light to a lawsuit over an Oklahoma voter initiative that approved a state constitutional amendment banning state courts from looking to Islamic religious law in their rulings. Executive director Muneer Awad of the Council on American-Islamic Relations had standing to…

Jan 10, 2012 8:59 PM CST

Daunting Dubai: Security Officials Nearly Force Cancellation of IBA Annual Meeting

Jan 1, 2012 10:20 AM CST

Retired Lawyer’s Menorah Suit Against Homeowners Association Settles in Time for the Holiday

A retirement community in Leesburg, Fla., now has a 6½-foot-tall menorah inside its social hall as a result of a lawsuit filed by a resident who is a rabbi and former lawyer. Rabbi Arthur Grae had a practice in New York focusing on labor and constitutional law before his retirement,…

Dec 22, 2011 4:02 PM CST

‘Talaq’ Text Is Valid for Divorce, Imam Says; But Bombay High Court Demands More in Different Case

An Islamic imam who oversees a mosque in Ghaziabad, India, has declared a marriage void on the basis of a text message a man sent to his wife stating “talaq” three times. The couple were married three months ago, but the wife returned to her parents’ home early on and…

Dec 15, 2011 6:19 PM CST

Feds Raid Fringe Amish Group’s Compound, Arrest 7 in Alleged Hair-Cutting Hate Crimes

Responding to alleged attacks that had struck fear into the hearts of residents of pacifist Amish communities in multiple Midwestern states, federal authorities raided the Ohio compound of a breakaway Amish group this morning and arrested seven men. They are accused of hate crimes in a bizarre series of hair-cutting…

Nov 23, 2011 9:55 PM CST

Vatican Plans Legal Action over Benetton’s Faked Ad Showing Pope Lip Kissing Cleric

Benetton’s new “Unhate” ad campaign showing photoshopped pictures of world leaders smooching each other on the lips has managed to generate lots of free publicity—as well as legal action. The Vatican has announced it will take “proper legal measures” to stop publication of a photo of the Pope kissing an…

Nov 18, 2011 1:43 PM CST

Justice Thomas Dissents from Cert Denial in Highway Cross Case, Cites ‘Shambles’ Precedents

Justice Clarence Thomas sees a lost opportunity to “provide clarity to an establishment clause jurisprudence in shambles” in the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal today to take up a case involving crosses beside a highway. Thomas dissented (PDF) from the cert denial. At issue is whether privately financed roadside crosses erected…

Oct 31, 2011 3:43 PM CDT

Law Prof Targets Catholic University Again, This Time over Lack of Muslim Prayer Rooms

Updated: A law professor who targeted Catholic University of America over its plan to bring back same-sex dorms has filed a new complaint that criticizes the school’s treatment of Muslim students. George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf filed his complaint with the Washington, D.C., Office of Human Rights, according…

Oct 31, 2011 1:50 PM CDT

Fla. Appeals Court Refuses to Bar Judge from Considering Islamic Law in Mosque Dispute

Lawyers disagree on the impact of a Florida appeals court’s refusal to block a Hillsborough judge from using Islamic law in a dispute involving a mosque. The appellate court in Lakeland denied a petition without comment that had sought to block Judge Richard Nielsen from referring to Islamic law, report…

Oct 26, 2011 1:04 PM CDT

Supreme Court Considers Whether Fired Lutheran Teacher May Sue for Retaliation

Justice Antonin Scalia took a hard line as the U.S. Supreme Court considered Wednesday whether a Lutheran school teacher may bring a retaliation suit for her firing. The teacher, Cheryl Perich, had gone on disability leave for narcolepsy and objected when the church school in Redford, Mich., said it would…

Oct 6, 2011 2:33 PM CDT

Inmate Convicted in Courthouse Slayings Sues, Says Ohio Won’t Provide Halal Meals to Muslims

An inmate on death row for murdering his estranged wife and brother-in-law in an Ohio domestic relations courtroom is pursuing a federal civil rights suit over the state prison system’s alleged refusal to provide halal meals to Muslims. Although the state does accommodate dietary restrictions of Muslims by offering no-pork…

Oct 3, 2011 5:54 PM CDT

Legal Analyst Previews the Supreme Court Previews

It’s the first Monday in October, which means it’s a big day for Supreme Court previews. In a story published on Friday, the Atlantic ranks the top 10 previews, including ones by USA Today (“a good place to start if you want a general overview without committing too much time…

Oct 3, 2011 1:15 PM CDT

Bringing Mediation to Pakistan

Oct 1, 2011 9:10 AM CDT

Cutting Edge: San Francisco Judge Orders Circumcision Measure Off the Ballot

Oct 1, 2011 9:00 AM CDT

Woman Is Told She’ll Get 10 Lashes for Driving in Saudi Arabia Before King Revokes Sentence

Updated: A woman who defied a religious and cultural ban by driving in Saudi Arabia was initially sentenced to 10 lashes in a landmark case in the ultraconservative Muslim county. It is the first time a court has upheld the rule against women drivers, which previously had been more informally…

Sep 29, 2011 1:50 PM CDT