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Biden Has 65 Days Left in Office. Here’s What He Can Do on Criminal Justice.

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Judicial appointments and the death penalty are among areas where a lame-duck administration can still leave a mark. Donald Trump’s second presidential term will begin on Jan. 20, bringing with it promises to dramatically reshape many aspects of the criminal justice system. The U.S. Senate — with its authority over confirming judicial nominees — will also shift from Democratic to Republican control.
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Sudan Court Frees Woman on Death Row for Apostasy

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Meriam Ibrahim and her husband
Meriam Ibrahim and her husband
Mother Was Convicted of Renouncing Islam, Marrying a Christian

KAMPALA, Uganda—A Sudanese appeals court on Monday ordered the release of a woman who was sentenced to death in May for refusing to renounce her Christian faith, ending a monthslong legal dispute, officials and activists said.

The three-judge appeals panel in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, quashed the verdict and ordered the release of Meriam Ibrahim, a 27-year-old mother, who was forced to give birth in prison in May after being convicted of apostasy—or the abandoning the Islamic faith—after she married Daniel Wani, a Christian man of South Sudanese origin who holds U.S. citizenship.

The case had drawn the attention of Western human-rights and religious groups, threatening to further isolate the Islamic-led government of President Omar al-Bashir, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders.

"We are delighted to hear that Ibrahim and her children have been released into the care of her husband and that the unjust, inhumane and unwarranted sentences have been annulled" said Mervyn Thomas, chief executive for Christian Solidarity Worldwide, one of the groups fighting for Ms. Ibrahim's release.

A spokesman for Sudan's foreign ministry said Ms. Ibrahim was released shortly after the court ruling. "She is now with her family and faces no further charges."

The appeals court ruled that the earlier verdict contravened Sudan's 2005 constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of religion or belief, according to the Justice Center Sudan, a nonprofit group that has been offering legal representation to Ms. Ibrahim.


Source: The Wall Street Journal, Nicholas Bariyo, June 23, 2014
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