Supreme Court

Turkey's Constitutional Court has canceled a court ruling which sentenced a man on charges for being a member of the outlawed Turkish Communist Workers Party (TK?P), on the grounds that the suspect's testimony had been taken under torture and could not be used as evidence by the court.

Israel's top court slashed former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's prison sentence to 18 months from six years on Dec. 29 after overturning the main count in his 2014 bribery conviction.

Olmert, 70, will begin serving his term on Feb. 15, according to live reports from the Jerusalem courtroom, making him the first former head of government in Israel to go to prison. 

Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals has completed a detailed ruling in its earlier reversal decision of a 10-month jail sentence handed down to world-renowned Turkish pianist and composer Faz?l Say on blasphemy charges, highlighting the need for "a tolerant and wide view for the sake of a free society."

Panama's top court on Dec. 21 ordered the detention of former President Ricardo Martinelli who is alleged to have used public money to spy on more than 150 people illegally, one of several accusations he faces.

India's top court said on Dec. 21 that it had no power to detain the youngest of the men convicted of the 2012 gang rape of a woman on a bus in New Delhi in a case that shocked the nation, a day after he was released after three years in custody. 

A local court in Ankara has ruled that a former coup plot convict must be paid 1.5 million Turkish Liras in compensation after he was acquitted following more than three years in jail.

Tens of thousands of protesters rallied outside Congress late Dec. 17 against President Mauricio Macri, a mere week after the conservative politician took office as Argentina's new president.

Two lawsuits were filed against Greek Education Minister Nikos Filis on Monday by the Supreme Court Prosecutor’s office. These were filed in connection with controversial comments he made negating the occurence of the 1914-23 genocide of Black Sea Pontic Greeks.

Judges from several city courts and the Supreme Court of Cassation (VKS) demonstrated in front of Sofia Court House on Friday evening to show their anger at last-minute amendments to judicial reform proposals passed by Parliament earlier this week.

The Bulgarian parliament approved at second reading on Wednesday the division of the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) in two colleges - one made of judges and another composed of prosecutors.

According to the adopted amendment, judges and prosecutors will be appointed, promoted, lowered, transferred and discharged by their respective college.