MADRID — Talk to a Spanish official about Catalonia these days and it won’t be long before they mention democracy rankings. It's become so commonplace that the Economist — whose Democracy Index ranks Spain among the world’s 20 “full democracies" and ahead of the U.S., France and Italy — has acquired a totemic aura ahead of the trial of Catalan independence leaders set to begin Tuesday. Twelve former Catalan government officials, lawmakers and civic leaders will respond before Spain’s Supreme Court to charges related to the October 2017 referendum on secession and subsequent declaration of independence by the regional parliament. Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, his ministers and the most senior judge in the country have brandished the 175-year-old U.K. publication as proof of Spain’s democratic credentials, amid a high-stakes PR battle against Catalonia’s independence leaders. The … [Read more...] about Global Spain vs. Catalan separatists: The ultimate PR battle
Criminal vs civil law
Opinion: How a Tommy Robinson lawsuit will shake up the fight vs the far right
Tommy Robinson, or Stephen Yaxley-Lennon to give him his real name, has had quite a year. The founder of the English Defence League has spent time in prison for alleged contempt of court, whipped up angry crowds in front of the Old Bailey, doorstepped critics in the dead of night, and is now attempting to set up his own social network. Last week, he went to Glasgow to confront Stewart McDonald, the SNP MP who had called him a “racist thug and fraudster” in the House of Commons last year. It is turning into common strategy. Robinson rides a wave of resurgent far right figures and movements, funded from overseas – as well as by small microtransactions from supporters; set piece events like Glasgow are designed to drive funding. From outside, he seems unstoppable. But could the wave be about to crash? Join Independent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of … [Read more...] about Opinion: How a Tommy Robinson lawsuit will shake up the fight vs the far right
Whyte vs Chisora free live stream warning over unofficial channels
Fight fans have been urged not to stream Saturday night's fight between Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora to others via unofficial channels, or they could face the consequences. The British pair go head-to-head at London's O2 Arena this Saturday night, with Sky Sports Box Office showing the fight for a price of £19.95. Fans looking for the fight via unofficial streaming sites are running the risk of putting their PCs, laptops and iPads at risk if they do not have up-to-date virus protection. But then those who pay for supposedly more 'reliable' streams are running the risk of seeing those streams taken off air because of copyright infringement. Last year, Yusuf Mohammed from Bristol was fined £16,000 after he was found to have made money from re-streaming Sky Sports content to others online. While Scarborough resident Craig Foster was fined a huge £85,000 in January this year after the Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko fight in April last year was broadcast to 4,250 … [Read more...] about Whyte vs Chisora free live stream warning over unofficial channels
What Trump’s Supreme Court pick means for the Russia probe
President Donald Trump’s new Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh, could soon be in a position to address several big legal questions at the center of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. The list includes the question of whether Trump can be subpoenaed to testify in a criminal case; the legal basis for Mueller’s probe; Trump’s power to fire Mueller; and whether the president can escape criminal liability by pardoning himself. And then there is the contentious question of whether a sitting president can be criminally prosecuted. Kavanaugh — who investigated President Bill Clinton as a federal prosecutor in the 1990s — has warned in writing against such a scenario. All are unsettled constitutional questions that have bubbled below the surface of Mueller’s investigation, mainly debated by legal scholars. None are yet the subject of court battles, meaning that Kavanaugh, if confirmed, would likely be seated by the time any reach … [Read more...] about What Trump’s Supreme Court pick means for the Russia probe
Abortion row reignites as US supreme court justice retires
Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement from the United States Supreme Court has sparked fears over universal abortion rights as President Donald Trump looks for an ultra-conservative replacement judge. Before Trump's election, the court was finely balanced at four Republican appointees against four Democratic picks, with one seat vacant, and the then-candidate pledged to nominate only anti-abortion justices. Abortion is largely a state-level issue in the US, although the legal right to access nationwide was enshrined in the landmark 1973 decision known as "Roe vs Wade." "There is a very high risk that Roe vs Wade would be seriously excoriated by the soon-to-be nominated United States Supreme Court justice," women's rights lawyer Gloria Allred told AFP. Kennedy, a Ronald Reagan appointee, was considered a moderating voice on a variety of contentious issues, including abortion, and the Center for Reproductive Rights has described his departure as "devastating." Left-wing Senator … [Read more...] about Abortion row reignites as US supreme court justice retires