Palestinian judges strike amid security concerns News
Palestinian judges strike amid security concerns

[JURIST] All legal proceedings in the West Bank and Gaza came to an abrupt halt Saturday after all Palestinian Authority judges went on strike. According to reports, the judges went on strike after repeated calls for increased courtroom and personal security were not met. Last week, the home of Chief Justice Zuhair al-Surani was attacked [Reuters report], and a bomb damaged the home of Attorney General Hussein Abu Asi. Al-Surani later told reporters that he had resigned in protest at what he called "lawlessness in the courts", although whether he had actually submitted a formal resignation to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is unclear. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Germany surrenders unconditionally, ending WWII in Europe

On May 7, 1945, General Gustav Jodl, on behalf of Germany, signed an unconditional surrender, effectively ending World War II in Europe. The surrender was formally accepted by the Allied Powers the next day, May 8, which came to be known as Victory in Europe (VE) Day.

Read World War II legal documents, treaties, and declarations from the Avalon Project at the Yale University School of Law.

27th Amendment to US Constitution ratified

On May 7, 1992, the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, barring Congress from granting its members pay raises in the middle of terms. The Amendment had initially been proposed in 1789 by James Madison, but only became law after a grass-roots campaign in the 1980s against "excessive" Congressional privileges. Learn more about the Twenty-seventh Amendment.