Yesterday I published a post that provided some background information on Pitcairn Island: the mutiny on board the HMS Bounty led by Fletcher Christian on April 28, 1789; the settlement of Pitcairn (and subsequent emigration to Norfolk Island); William Bligh’s long trip home to England; and the court-martials of some of the mutineers that decided …
I have previously written about “legal pirates” who came across a spot of bother in the South Seas, and today I bring you another saga from the Pacific. Yesterday, April 28, was the 224th anniversary of the mutiny on board the HMS [or HMAV] Bounty. This is an event that has fascinated people for generations. The …
Today marks the 19th anniversary of South Africa’s first multiracial, democratic elections, known to South Africans as Freedom Day. This is a day of great significance in South Africa’s history as “a landmark in the inauguration of a non-racial democracy” after a long history of colonialism, segregation and Apartheid. Much has been written about Apartheid …
The following is a guest post by David Mao, Law Librarian of Congress. He has previously guest posted New Year’s Greetings, Justifying Speed, Food for Thought, Another Trip Down Memory Lane, 2012 Burton Awards – Pic of the Week, Shreddy: From the Office of the Law Librarian – Pic of the Week, From the Desk of the Law …
Imagine a court that could force you to incriminate yourself. It might go about its work like this: you are made to stand before a judge who refuses to give you any details about the charge laid against you. You are forced to take an oath before your God to answer truthfully any questions that …
Meet Pamela Howard-Reguindin, Director of the Library of Congress field office in Nairobi, Kenya. Pamela and her staff collect most of the materials that Law Library staff as well as our patrons use to conduct research on various African jurisdictions. We are very grateful to them! Describe your background. San Diego, California is my home …
This post is authored by Dr. John Y. Cole, Director of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Donna previously blogged about the birthday of the Law Library of Congress, which is on July 14, 1832. Today is the 213th birthday of the Library of Congress. I’ve been hooked on the institution’s …
The following is a guest post by Peter Roudik, Director of Legal Research at the Law Library of Congress. For the majority of Washingtonians the cherry blossoms signal the start of Spring. However, there is another event that marks the arrival of Spring for international lawyers: the annual meeting of the American Society of International …
When I began my research on the history of this national motto which prominently appears on U.S. currency, I glanced at the Wikipedia article on “In God we trust.” The entry contends that the motto was inspired by the fourth verse of the Star Spangled Banner: “Then conquer we must, when our cause is just, And …