In favour: 88
Against: 55
Abstentions: 23
Archiv: amendments / Zusätze / Ergänzungen
What‘s happening in Parliament next week?
Main debate: MPs consider Lords amendments to the extensively paused and re-written Online Safety Bill.
(…)
The government now says that the tech regulator, Ofcom, would only require companies to scan their networks for harmful material, like child sexual abuse and exploitation content, when a technology was developed that was capable of doing so – thus kicking the issue into the very long grass.
Judiciary vs executive: Israel’s branches of government set for unprecedented clash
Although the High Court has heard petitions against Basic Laws before, it has never heard a case against a law specifically designed to limit the High Court’s own powers, and the powers of the judiciary more broadly, nor has it done so amid such internal political turmoil over the balance of power between the branches of government.
Because of the extremely sensitive nature of the case and the highly explosive impact the court’s ruling may have, the entire bench of 15 High Court justices will hear the petitions, a judicial panel unprecedented in size in Israel’s history.
Netanyahu: Supreme Court striking down Reasonableness bill ‚uncharted territory‘
„We had to put Israeli democracy back on an equal footing with other democracies. The essence of democracy is the balance between the will of the majority and the rights of the minority. This balance has been violated over the last 20 years, because we have the most activist court on the planet,“ Netanyahu declared.
He also referred to the „internal debate going on right now in the United States about the powers of the Supreme Court, about whether it‘s abusing its powers, whether they should be curtailed.“
Netanyahu won’t commit to abiding by ruling if Supreme Court blocks controversial law
(Fri July 28)
“What you’re talking about is a situation, or potential situation, where in American terms, the United States’ Supreme Court would take a constitutional amendment and say that it’s unconstitutional, Netanyahu said. “That’s the kind of the kind of spiral that you’re talking about, and I hope we don’t get to that.”
The so-called “reasonableness” law is an amendment to one of Israel’s Basic Laws, which exist in place of a formal constitution.
The Next Step in Netanyahu‘s Legal Coup Will Make Every Minister an Emperor
(28.06.2023)
Thanks to a law that Israel inherited from the British Mandate dictatorship, the interior minister holds the power to disband a municipality. The minister is barred from using it in the year preceding local elections. But once those elections are over later this year, this government can depose as many mayors and local and regional council heads as it wants. It can eliminate city council members and replace them with government loyalists.
The interior minister can easily find a pretext for “faulty performance” in any locale. And what will the deposed mayors do then? The Supreme Court will be unable to deem the decision to fire them “unreasonable,” because this standard will no longer be available.
In Israel, the Worst May Be Yet to Come
(today)
The new law certainly does damage to Israel’s democracy — for example, it opens the door to corruption — but whether the court will determine it denies the democratic nature of the state is very much an open question.
A more plausible scenario is that the Supreme Court will wait it out to see if other components of the proposed overhaul will pass, especially those dealing with judicial appointments, weakening the independence of legal counsels within government ministries, and limits on judicial review of legislation.
Coalition passes 1st judicial overhaul law, limiting review of government decisions
Despite 29 weeks of unprecedented protests, all 64 coalition members back ‘reasonableness’ bill in final vote after 30 hours of plenum discussion; entire opposition walks out
Knesset begins final votes on reasonableness law, curbing court review of decisions
Advanced on a rushed timeline that only dedicated nine committee sessions to preparing the core text for a substantive amendment to one of Israel’s quasi-constitutional Basic Laws, the bill is expected to clear extensive filibusters to become law by Monday or Tuesday, in line with the coalition’s goal to show movement on its judicial overhaul program before the Knesset breaks forits summer recess on July 30
The reasonableness standard is about to be canceled by Israel‘s government. Mass protests are planned.
The legislation was approved by the Knesset‘s Constitution Committee last week. According to the wording of the proposal, „those who have judicial authority according to law, including the Supreme Court when sitting as a high court of justice, will not discuss or issue an order against the government, the prime minister, a minister or another elected official regarding the reasonableness of their decision.“
Netanyahu Gov’t to Vote on Key Part of Judicial Coup as Protesters Threaten Nationwide Rallies
The full Knesset will begin voting Monday afternoon on the amendment to the Basic Law on the Judiciary. The session will begin at 4 P.M. with debate, followed by a vote on a motion of no-confidence in the government submitted by the opposition. Lawmakers will then take up the reasonableness bill.
The bill to be voted on follows the wording it contained before lawmakers held deliberations on it. During the five meetings of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee on the bill, not a single change was introduced.
MKs to vote on bill barring judges from reviewing ‘reasonableness’ of gov’t decisions
While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his justice minister and the head of the Knesset committee sponsoring the bill to “soften” the language so as not to shield local city halls from petitions for judicial review, the bill’s language has not so far been changed.
MK Simcha Rothman, who heads the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, said that the current bill will not apply to mayors, but declined to remove the “other elected officials” clause, smoothing the way to easily expand the bill’s scope.
Daniel Ellsberg’s Dying Wish: Free Julian Assange, Encourage Whistleblowers & Reveal the Truth
(July 03, 2023)
Whistleblower Dan Ellsberg joined us after the Justice Department charged WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act for publishing U.S. military and diplomatic documents exposing U.S. war crimes. Assange is locked up in London and faces up to 175 years in prison if extradited and convicted in the United States. Ellsberg died in June, and as we remember his life and legacy, we revisit his message for other government insiders who are considering becoming whistleblowers: “My message to them is: Don’t do what I did. Don’t wait ’til the bombs are actually falling or thousands more have died.”
(…)
„It’s this generation, not the next one, the people living right now, that have to change these problems fast. And I think truth-telling is crucial to mobilize that.“
Biden likely violated First Amendment during COVID-19 pandemic, federal judge says
A U.S. District Court judge is temporarily preventing White House officials from meeting with tech companies about social media censorship, arguing that such actions in the past were likely First Amendment violations.
The Tuesday injunction by Louisiana Judge Terry A. Doughty was in response to recent lawsuits from Louisiana and Missouri attorneys general. The suits allege that the White House coerced or „significantly encourage[d]“ tech companies to suppress free speech during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judge limits Biden administration in working with social media companies
U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana granted the injunction in response to a 2022 lawsuit brought by attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri. Their lawsuit alleged that the federal government overstepped in its efforts to convince social media companies to address postings that could result in vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or affect elections.
The extradition of Julian Assange must be condemned by all who believe in press freedom1
(June 17, 2022)
There is some historical irony in the fact that this extradition announcement falls during the anniversary of the Pentagon Papers trial, which began with the Times publication of stories based on the legendary leak on June 13, 1971, and continued through the seminal Supreme Court opinion rejecting prior restraint on June 30, 1971.
In the months and years following that debacle, whistleblower (and FPF co-founder) Daniel Ellsberg became the first journalistic source to be charged under the Espionage Act. What many do not know is that the Nixon administration attempted to prosecute Times reporter Neil Sheehan for receiving the Pentagon Papers as well — under a very similar legal theory the Justice Department is using against Assange.
Supreme Court declines to expand police power to enter home without warrant
The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant police more authority to enter the home of a fleeing suspect following a minor offense.
The unanimous ruling adopts a legal test that involves weighing the circumstances of a warrantless search to determine its lawfulness under the Fourth Amendment.
The Senate voted to let the government keep surveilling your online life without a warrant
(14.05.2020)
Many senators wanted to forbid the government from secretly collecting information about your internet habits, but an amendment failed by just one vote.
Sen. @RandPaul : „The PATRIOT Act in the end is not patriotic.“
The Senate voted to let the government keep surveilling your online life without a warrant
The measure needed 60 votes to pass. It got 59.
The outcome is especially frustrating since four senators didn’t vote on the amendment at all, and at least one would have voted yes. Lamar Alexander couldn’t vote because he’s quarantined. Two others — Ben Sasse and Bernie Sanders — didn’t respond to request for comment on where they were during the vote. An aide told Politico that Patty Murray would have voted yes had she been there, but the senator was not in Washington, DC, when the vote occurred.
Rand Paul, citing Flynn case, proposes FISA amendment to curb surveillance of Americans
Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday introduced an amendment to the House-passed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to protect Americans’ privacy, citing the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn as an example of “abuse” and saying it “should never be allowed to happen again.”
Paul, R-Ky., who is an outspoken advocate for privacy reforms, proposed an amendment to the USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act of 2020 – which passed the House on a bipartisan basis earlier this year – to protect Americans’ privacy, ensure due process and “reassert the Fourth Amendment.”
House votes to curb Trump’s war powers, challenging Senate to act
In the Senate in recent months, Republicans have joined Democrats to pass similar measures, but not enough to override a presidential veto.
I voted today in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act. This bill repeals the 2002 AUMF and allows Congress to reassert their war making powers after 17 years of war in the Middle East. Read my full statement below:
I cosponsored an amendment, which passed today, to prevent the Trump administration and warhawk John Bolton from starting a war with Iran unless authorized by Congress. Congress must exercise its constitutional duty and prevent yet another endless war in the Middle East.
Congress just took a major step towards preventing Iran from becoming another Forever War
Both Concerned Veterans for America and VoteVets have long argued that Congress needs to take back its power to declare war from the executive branch and put an end to the „Forever Wars“ by revoking the 2001 authorization for use of military force against Al Qaeda, which presidents have used to justify military operations all over the world.
Since its passage, the 2001 AUMF has been used far beyond the scope Congress intended. Today, the House passed my amendment reclaiming Congress’ constitutional authority & recognizing that it is past time to revisit the 2001 AUMF blank check for endless war.
BREAKING: The House just passed my amendment to repeal the outdated 2002 AUMF & restore Congressional authority in matters of war and peace. This AUMF has been on the books for 17 years, long after the end of the Iraq war. It‘s past time for it to go! #StopEndlessWars
House Passes Amendments to End War Authorizations, Preemptively Defund Iran War
The flurry of amendments to the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) moving through the House of Representatives is finally wrapping up Friday, where a series of Thursday night debates gave way to key votes early Friday on some contentious issues.
Major subjects of those debates included amendments that aim to end both the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF). The 2001 repeal passed 237-183, while the 2002 repeal passed even easier at 242-180.
Debates on the AUMF centered on concern that the authorizations could be used by President Trump or future presidents to authorize wars they were never intended for. The aim is to replace the 2001 version with something more current on the global war on terror, and to do away with the 2002 version entirely, since its main goal was to unseat the long-dead Saddam Hussein and conquer Iraq, now a US ally.
House Votes to Check Trump’s Authority to Strike Iran
The House voted Friday to curb President Trump’s ability to strike Iran militarily on Friday, adopting a bipartisan provision that would require the president to get Congress’s approval before authorizing military force against Tehran.
Three UK ministers resign
(26.3.2019) MPs voted by 329 to 302 to back the Letwin amendment, led by former ministers Oliver Letwin and Dominic Grieve, which effectively allowed the Parliament to take control of the Brexit process, and delivered another blow to Prime Minister Theresa May.
The Guardian reported that 30 MPs from May’s party including three ministers voted for the amendment. The three ministers were also reported to have resigned.
Does this House have the authority to suspend the standing orders preventing the motion being brought back asks @alexburghart Yes says the Speaker. The House is the custodian of its own standing orders
Bercow now invokes Part 2 of the stitch-up: directly advising Remainer MPs how to force through amendments using SO24. Benn/Cooper/Boles coup back on…
Interesting that Bercow emphasised heavily the „fuller opportunities of Standing Order 24“ in response to Helen Goodman‘s point of order this afternoon when asked what the opposition could do to force the Govt. hand.
die gute Nachricht: Salvini wird jetzt in den nächsten 12 Tagen, die seiner #EU noch bleiben, beweisen, dass auch die nationalistische Rechte in Italien und europaweit genauso ein verlogener, feiger Haufen #EU-Untertanen ist wie die etablierten contralinken Verräterparteien.
Ihr versteht, dass jetzt das gesamte Schicksal dieser sogenannten „Europäischen Union“ und ihrer Zollunion (um die geht es in Wirklichkeit bei dieser epischen Erpressung) an einem italienischen Nationalisten hängt, gell? #Salvini #Artikel50 #Brexit
MPs vote to DELAY Brexit until at least June killing March 29 Leave date
Mrs May will next week bring her Brexit deal back to the Commons for a third meaningful vote.
She says that if it passes, she will then ask the EU for a „short technical extension“ until the end of June, to give Parliament the time to force through the necessary legislation.
But if the deal is defeated again, the PM has warned that Britain will have to stay in the EU beyond the summer and take part in European Parliament elections.