As Publisher’s Weekly says, this is a major disappointment that they should throw away a chance to defend American citizens from libel suits filed in Britain. Here’s the New York Sun’s report on the turnout. However, as Democracy Project tells, ther…

“an English judge ordered her to pay over $225,000 in damages and legal costs, to destroy all copies of her book in the United Kingdom, and to publish an apology to bin Mahfouz in major newspapers.”

http://www.thelibeltourist.com/cgi-local/content.cgi?g=7

The Saudi prince won a monetary award against the author as well. Also, she is supposed to personally destroy any of her books that are in the UK. At least, this is what I believe I read from the Libel Tourism website.

Courts spend too little effort on the issues of standing and jurisdiction: if they would be more diligent with these issues, they could eliminate a huge pile of garbage from the judicial system.

When you have a beef with a tin-horn dictator in some third-world country, or a rogue jurist in a major country, the solution is NOT in the US courts!!!

“New Delhi – India’s eastern state of Orissa has lodged a protest with the US government seeking action against a California-based website for hurting religious sentiments of people by selling undergarments with images of Hindu gods…”

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/162551.html

Guess what, some idiot in the world outside of the U.S. doesn’t like what an American citizen says, TOUGH…

The New York State Court of Appeals decided today that the New York State laws are not “coextensive with federal due process requirements,” which means the New York State courts are not as required as federal courts to protect……

Looking forward … I would recommend driving over to the local sprting goods store and exercising your Second Amendment right before that one is “surprisingly” lost. I’d be shocked if you didn’t go this weekend.

but I will say that many of my fellow students WANT an international/global type of court to equalize world powers.

Well,, if our own courts will not protect us from foreign courts than they will render our constitution meaningless. Ultimately,, that should mean they render themselves meaningless, as well, to the people! The constitution they want to shred for us,, is also the constitution that gives them their power. What do they expect us all to do?? Just sit and allow our properties and lives be controlled or taken by elites in Europe?? This is treason! Can it be explained any other way?? It is another attempt to remove our borders, remove our sovereignty as a nation, destroy our liberties! The Supreme Court had better overturn this! If this is allowed to stand,, it will be only the beginning. This is insane and this judge needs to be removed! My God,, what are we coming to?? Will foreign courts begin to summon American citizens overseas to appear before their courts for violations of their laws???!! Traitors, thieves and liars!! Screw them all!!!

For an American court to have personal jurisdiction over someone, he must have what are called “minimum contacts” with the forum state. He must have, in some minimum way, availed himself of the protection of the laws in that forum state, such that it would be a reasonable/fair expectation that he could be dragged into court there. This is a constitutional requirement of the Due Process Clause; there’s no simple way around it.

So the Saudi douchebag travels to England and sues an American citizen there. English courts, which don’t seem to have this “minimum contacts” requirement, assert personal jurisdiction over the American and hand down a judgment against her. The American, seeking to protect herself, sues the Saudi douchebag… but he’s never been anywhere near New York, either in connection with the litigation or otherwise, and so a New York court can’t legitimately assert personal jurisdiction over him.

How long until illegal aliens from south of the border will be able to sue back in or have their home countries’ authorities drag US citizens into their home countries’ courts when they they get a boo boo on a US citizen’s property?

Oh, and 2 words that should be strongly stressed here … “Saudi billionaire”.

Where’s that picture of Jorge and Saud holding hands together?

Does anyone have information on Mafouz’s claims against Ehrenfeld? What did he say to the British libel court that was so persuasive?

He won because she didn’t show up to a court in a place where she doesn’t do business. Also, British laws on libel leave alot to be desired.

Does anyone have information on Mafouz’s claims against Ehrenfeld? What did he say to the British libel court that was so persuasive?

JustTruth101 on December 20, 2007 at 8:09 PM

Los Angeles, but I’ve also heard from students from Bloomington Indiana and New York.

The most common thing you would hear are complaints about the jury system, but nothing as severe as a global court.

So when does Hot Air send out the disclaimer forms that we will have to sign and send back before we post?

…wow I agree with Nonfactor.

“I’d like to hear from the lawyers out there as to where this case leaves us … But it did, and now the US court has decided not to protect US citizens against this pernicious use of the UK’s courts.”

I sure like to hea where it leaves us, too. I’m no lawyer, so I don’t know why she started in the NYS court system as opposed to the Federal system. I can see why the NYS system might not be able to provide redress, which might be the reason for the judge’s jurisdictional point made. I can see it being within the jurisdiction of the federal system.