Law

Today, the water tribunal in Valencia, Spain meets on the same day, in the same way and at the same time as it did 1,000 years ago.

Drink in History at the World's Oldest Court

Valencia's water tribunal doesn't have written records or lawyers—but that doesn't mean it's outdated

A beach at Durban reserved for whites. An amendment to the Separate Amenities Act extended the laws to beaches. January 1, 1976

A Look Back at South Africa Under Apartheid, Twenty-Five Years After Its Repeal

Segregated public facilities, including beaches, were commonplace, but even today, the inequality persists

Demonstrators express support for The Perfect Moment, an exhibition by Robert Mapplethrope that included nude and sexually graphic photos.

When Art Fought the Law and the Art Won

The Mapplethorpe obscenity trial changed perceptions of public funding of art and shaped the city of Cincinnati

The “Happy Birthday” Song is Officially in the Public Domain

Sing without fear of being sued

Supreme Court Justices Have a Thing for Shakespeare

The brief's the thing

PETA Wants a Selfie-Snapping Monkey to be Granted Copyright to its Photo

PETA Wants a Selfie-Snapping Monkey to be Granted Copyright to its Photo

U.S. Court Says A Chicken Sandwich Can’t Be Copyrighted

Man claims intellectual property theft for putting chicken on a bun.

"Happy Birthday to You" Could Soon Have Its Day in the Public Domain

One of the most popular songs in the world could soon be free to sing

Times Square, New York City

Times Square’s Iconic Billboards May Be Illegal

Bright lights, big city, breaking the law

Runnymede meadow in Surrey, England, is the site of historic Magna Carta negotiations.

The Mad King and Magna Carta

How did a peace treaty signed — and broken — more than 800 years ago become one of the world's most influential documents?

A customs officer in Thailand examines specimens from a three ton ivory seizure, estimated to be worth $6 million.

DNA and Databases Help Untangle the Web of the Illegal Wildlife Trade

Two new data-driven approaches help identify key hotspots for poaching and trafficking

Six years after the quake first struck, the city of L’Aquila is still rebuilding. The recovery is estimated to cost at least $16 billion.

The Shaky Science Behind Predicting Earthquakes

A powerful earthquake in Italy killed hundreds of people—and set in motion a legal battle and scientific debate that has kept seismologists on edge

In a recent ad campaign, portraits of litterers made from DNA taken from tossed cigarettes, coffee cups and condoms were posted in public places around Hong Kong.

DNA Testing Could Identify Litterbugs and Dog Poop Miscreants

Anonymous crimes may not be quite so anonymous anymore

"The Legal Justice League" celebrates the first four women to sit on the country's highest court.

Celebrating the Women of the Supreme Court With LEGOs

What better way to hail the female trailblazers of the bench than miniaturizing them into tiny toys?

Adultery Is Now Legal in South Korea

62 years after the passage of a morality law, spouses can’t be prosecuted for extramarital affairs

The FCC Just Voted to Preserve Net Neutrality

FCC passes “Preserving the Open Internet” rules by 3-2 vote

Stony Ground by Edwin Austin Abbey

The Second Divorce in Colonial America Happened Today in 1643

The Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans weren’t as conservative as you may have thought

Lawyers With Less-Masculine Sounding Voices Are More Likely to Win in Court

Unfortunately, there's probably little we can do to change this bias

That's it. Next year, everyone's getting coal.

Americans 'Returned' Around $3.6 Billion Worth of Stolen Goods This Holiday Season

Billions of dollars worth of "gift returns" are actually stolen goods

Sandra, covered with a blanket, gestures inside its cage at Buenos Aires' Zoo, December 8, 2010.

Argentinian Orangutan Is "Non-Human Person," Says Court

Being in the zoo impinges on her freedom

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