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"We're going to close the blinds temporarily," the Oklahoma corrections officer told those in the witness room, when Clayton Lockett's execution started to go terribly wrong. None of those outside could see what happened during the almost 45 minute-long botched execution, and the "shuttered blinds" became a metaphor for the modern administration of the death penalty. Behind the curtain, "unknown drugs" and "untested protocols" were used "behind a wall of secrecy," said Lockett's lawyer Cheryl Pilate. Challenges to such secret protocols have been brought in a range of states, including Georgia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas; one federal judge in a recent dissent [PDF] argued the state cannot simply hide "behind the hangman's cloak." But following that botched execution the Oklahoma Court of Appeals approved a six-month stay of executions to at least review the…

  The patent system is intended to incentivize invention and the spread of knowledge. As part of dispatching this task, patent laws require that patents be described clearly—the statutory term is "definiteness"—to ensure that later inventors can read those patents and build upon them. How strongly the law will adhere to the demand for definiteness and how strongly the patent system will protect those later inventors, are the central issues in the case Nautilus v. Biosig Instruments, heard before the Supreme Court on April 28, 2014.   A patent, seen simply, is a legal instrument that encircles a portion of the space of human activities, placing a fence defining what infringes the patent. Throughout history, one point has been made central: that fence, called a "patent claim," must be clearly drawn to serve…

  La Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD) participará en un análisis coordinado para examinar las condiciones de privacidad de las aplicaciones móviles más populares, y en concreto sobre la recopilación y el uso de la información personal que recogen.   Este ejercicio de análisis, en el que también participan, entre otras, las Autoridades de Protección de Datos de Alemania, Canadá, Francia, Italia o Reino Unido, se llevará a cabo entre el 12 y el 18 de mayo y se enmarca dentro de las acciones que desarrolla la Red Global de Control de la Privacidad (GPEN, por sus siglas en inglés).   La iniciativa, que en el caso español se articula como un plan de oficio, tiene como objetivo fomentar el cumplimiento de la legislación sobre protección de datos…

  The U.S. House of Representatives voted to revive the tax credit for corporate research, expand it and make it permanent.   The 274-131 vote today follows calls to restore the credit by a coalition of companies including Texas Instruments (TXN) Inc. and Eli Lilly & Co.   The measure faces significant obstacles before it can become law, including a veto threat from PresidentBarack Obama. All except one Republican voted for the bill; Democrats were divided, with 62 in favor of it and 130 opposed.   The research credit was first enacted in 1981. Lawmakers said the lapse-and-revive cycle of the past 33 years has prevented companies from relying on it and thwarted its incentive effect.   “Businesses can’t grow and invest when the tax code is riddled with instability and uncertainty,” Ways and…

No último dia 21/4, o jornal Estado de Minas publicou o artigo Conduta Ambiental, de Fábio Medina Osório, que abordou a problemática dos Termos de Ajustamento de Conduta (TAC's) no âmbito do Direito Ambiental. Confira a íntegra abaixo.    

Le Conseil constitutionnel saisi par le Conseil d'État (décision n° 373999 et 374289 du 19 février 2014) d'une question prioritaire de constitutionnalité posée par les deux communes requérantes, déclare contraire à la Constitution l'article L. 5210-1-2 du code général des collectivités territoriales. Cet article relatif au rattachement à un établissement public de coopération intercommunale (EPCI) à fiscalité propre des communes isolées ou en situation d'enclave ou de discontinuité territoriale prévoit qu'il est procédé à ce rattachement par arrêté du représentant de l'État dans le département, après accord de l'organe délibérant de cet établissement public et avis de la commission départementale de la coopération intercommunale (CDCI) ainsi que, le cas échéant, du comité de massif. Seul un vote de la CDCI, à la majorité des deux tiers de ses membres, en…

  The supreme court said on Monday that prayers that open town council meetings do not violate the constitution even if they routinely stress Christianity.   The court said in 5-4 decision that the content of the prayers is not significant as long as officials make a good-faith effort at inclusion.   The ruling was a victory for the town of Greece, New York, outside of Rochester.   In 1983, the court upheld an opening prayer in the Nebraska legislature and said that prayer is part of the nation's fabric, not a violation of the first amendment. Monday's ruling was consistent with the earlier one.   Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, said the prayers are ceremonial and in keeping with the nation's traditions.   "The inclusion of a…

  El Tribunal Constitucional ha estimado parcialmente el recurso presentado por el Gobierno contra la imposición en Cataluña tanto del llamado “euro por receta” como de la tasa judicial.   En una sentencia de la que ha sido ponente el magistrado Fernando Valdés Dal-Ré, el Pleno declara la inconstitucionalidad del “euro por receta” y, por el contrario, avala la constitucionalidad de la tasa judicial.   Euro por receta El TC señala que en materia de sanidad, frente a lo que ocurre con otras competencias compartidas entre el Estado y las CC.AA., “el régimen de sostenimiento económico forma parte de la competencia básica del Estado”. La LOFCA (Ley Orgánica de Financiación de las Comunidades Autónomas) establece, además, que “el Estado garantizará en todo el territorio español el nivel mínimo de los…

  NEW YORK (The Deal) -- Following months of speculation on when it would file for bankruptcy, private equity-backed Energy Future Holdings has commenced Chapter 11 proceedings to implement a restructuring that would split the company between creditors and eliminate more than $26 billion in debt.   The Dallas electricity provider, once the subject of what was the largest leveraged buyout ever to that time, submitted a petition on early Tuesday morning in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware in Wilmington.   Judge Christopher S. Sontchi has not yet set a hearing on the company's first-day motions, including a request for joint administration of the case with those of 70 affiliates, but the company said in a statement it expected a hearing within 48 hours.   Energy Future Holdings has lined up…

Two Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants were awarded on Friday totaling $1 million earmarked towards Chicago green infrastructure projects. The projects will improve water quality in Lake Michigan. The infrastructure projects will prevent stormwater from carrying contamination into Lake Michigan.   Great Lakes National Program Manager, Susan Hedman said. "Green infrastructure also helps to prevent flooding, which is occurring more often as a result of the increasingly frequent extreme precipitation events that have hit the Midwest in recent years — a pattern that may intensify as the result of climate change."   These improvements will directly benefit residents, businesses and the environment. They will enhance Chicago's overall Green Stormwater Infrastructure Strategy by improving the water and sewer systems, reducing flooding, enhancing sustainability.   "Lake Michigan is one of Chicago's greatest…