US justice

US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has withdrawn from a climate change case after complaints were raised about his financial holdings in oil and gas companies. The recusal means he will not take part in the court's consideration of the dispute, which touches on matters central to climate litigation and energy industry interests.

US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has withdrawn from a major climate case, reversing an earlier decision to take part in it. The move comes as the court weighs disputes with significant consequences for climate regulation. Little further detail is available about his reasons or the specific case involved, and reaction so far is limited to initial news reports.

A UN News roundup highlights four stories: a warning that US migration policy is triggering a 'cascade' of human rights violations, a funding shortfall affecting refugees, a new global report on the state of the world's forests, and efforts to advance restorative justice in Colombia. The items reflect ongoing UN concern over migration enforcement, humanitarian financing, deforestation and post-conflict reconciliation.

Germany's foreign minister visited the International Criminal Court in The Hague, pledging Berlin's full support for the institution despite US sanctions imposed under the Trump administration. The visit signals Germany's continued commitment to international justice, though it comes after Berlin also announced its own sanctions targeting ICC officials, creating a mixed picture of Europe's stance toward the court.

The US Department of Justice has announced charges and guilty pleas involving 12 individuals in connection with election crimes. The department disclosed the cases in a public announcement, though details of the specific offenses, jurisdictions, and sentences have not yet been widely reported. The announcement comes amid heightened national attention on election integrity and the enforcement of voting laws ahead of upcoming elections.

The US Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the Trump administration in a case involving a voter database, according to early reports. The decision allows the administration's push concerning voter roll records to proceed. Details of the ruling's scope and the justices' split, if any, are not yet available, and reactions from voting rights groups are still coming in.

Attention is turning to the US Supreme Court's upcoming 2026–2027 term, with early previews outlining the cases and legal questions the justices are expected to take up. Commentary so far focuses on what the docket could mean for major constitutional and policy fights, and how the Court's current makeup may shape its rulings.

The story recounts Ben Ferencz, the American lawyer who served as chief prosecutor in the Einsatzgruppen trial at Nuremberg, which began on 29 September 1947 and became known as the biggest murder trial in history. Ferencz, who was 27 at the time, brought 22 members of Nazi mobile killing squads to justice. In interviews he recalled that none of the defendants showed any remorse for their role in the mass killings.

The United States is participating in the 2026 United Nations Crime Congress, hosted in Abu Dhabi. The US Mission in Vienna announced the American delegation's involvement in the congress, a UN forum where member states coordinate on crime prevention, criminal justice, and international cooperation against transnational crime. Further details about the US agenda or outcomes from the event have not yet been made public.

The Institute for Justice, a US public interest law firm, has launched a new Education Entrepreneurship Project aimed at supporting people starting educational businesses as schools reopen and workers return for the fall. The initiative reportedly combines the group's litigation and advocacy work with efforts to help education entrepreneurs overcome regulatory barriers, tapping into renewed attention on schooling and work at the start of the academic year.