Calls

Critical Health Concerns Mount for Imprisoned Chinese Activist Xu Zhiyong Amid Hunger Strike and Calls for International Intervention

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Beijing, China — Concerns are intensifying for Xu Zhiyong, a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer and legal scholar, amid reports that his health is severely declining after nearly a month on a hunger strike. Xu, a staunch advocate for transparency and civil liberties in China’s New Citizens’ Movement, has been incarcerated since February 2020 due to his participation in a gathering of activists and lawyers. Xu began his hunger strike on October 4, 2024, as a protest against the conditions of his detention in Lunan Prison, Shandong Province, where he is subjected to stringent surveillance … Read more

Los Angeles to Elect Five Superior Court Judges Amid Calls for Diversity and Reform

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Los Angeles, CA — This November, Los Angeles voters will take to the polls to elect five judges to the Los Angeles Superior Court, selecting from a field of ten candidates who advanced from the March primary elections. The judges elected will serve six-year terms in offices numbered 39, 48, 97, 135, and 137. These elections are critical as Superior Court judges handle a wide range of legal matters including criminal, civil, and family cases. Campaigns for Superior Court positions tend to be less visible than those for other offices, due to fewer resources and … Read more

Rep. Comer Calls on Chief Justice Roberts to Enforce Transparency in the $15 Billion Litigation Finance Industry

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Washington, D.C. – The debate around the transparency of litigation finance has reached a new peak as Representative James Comer (R-Ky.), head of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, recently called on Chief Justice John Roberts to intervene. Comer’s request urges the Judicial Conference to consider instituting rules for the mandatory disclosure of external funding in federal lawsuits, citing concerns over potential conflicts of interest and the influence of foreign investments. Rep. Comer expressed concerns that understanding the specifics of litigation funding – including the sources and financial terms – is crucial for informed … Read more

Blur’s Dave Rowntree Calls for Compassionate Reform of UK Assisted Dying Laws after Ex-Wife’s Solitary Death at Dignitas

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London – Dave Rowntree, the drummer for the iconic British band Blur, has voiced a fierce critique of the UK’s laws on assisted dying, labeling them as showing “absolutely no empathy for the sufferer.” His stinging rebuke comes after witnessing the painful choices faced by his terminally ill ex-wife, Paola Marra, who elected to end her life at Dignitas in Switzerland due to terminal bowel cancer. During the 1990s, Rowntree, now 60, married Marra after meeting her amidst the bustling music scene in Camden. The two parted ways but remained connected over the years. Rowntree … Read more