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1500 questions
25
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2 answers
A car catches fire in a carpark. The resulting fire spreads destroying the entire carpark. Who is liable?
A car catches fire in a multi-story carpark. The fire spreads quickly from the car, igniting nearby vehicles, leading to a raging inferno that causes the collapse of the carpark. All the cars parked in the facility are damaged beyond economic…
anon
25
votes
3 answers
Why did CJ Roberts apply the Fourteenth Amendment to Harvard, a private school?
In Justice Roberts's ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v.
Harvard College overturning affirmative action in the United States, he holds that "Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions programs violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth…
Very Tiny Brain
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Do cats have a "right to roam" in the UK?
I've seen numerous sources, including the RSPCA, making claims along the lines that cats in the UK have a "right to roam", are "free spirits", and therefore that cat owners cannot be held liable for their cat's actions that cause damage. However,…
Jez
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2 answers
Can a private person deceive a defendant to obtain evidence?
In the 2019 movie "Badla" (spoilers ahead), Naina was accused of committing a murder in the UK, and her trial is in London. She denies the accusation. Her clever lawyer Badal arrives and they have a three hour conversation going over all the details…
KeizerHarm
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25
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2 answers
It is really illegal to plug in a device to watch BBC iPlayer or Live TV in a Starbucks?
Please note: it is unlawful to plug in your device in our stores if you are watching live TV or downloading or watching programmes on demand on BBC iPlayer.By using the WiFi, you agree to the terms of use
This is the warning that appears in…
Nicolas Formichella
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25
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2 answers
High School forced labor for grades?
I have a friend in a high school computer science course in Texas. This is a course required for graduation and is not a volunteer thing. Apparently, the teacher is having the students develop an official app that the school intends to eventually…
ShardFenix
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7 answers
Peanut butter - may contain peanuts
Some products have disclaimers that serve no apparent purpose or which are obviously redundant. For example, a peanut butter jar that lists the ingredients as peanuts, and then provides a warning right under it which says may contain peanuts.*
If a…
forest
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What happens when the opinion of the Court misrepresents the facts of the case?
In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (2022), the Court ruled 6–3 in favor of a high school football coach who had been leading players in prayer and was instructed by the school district to stop. [PDF]
Justice Sotomayor's dissent disputes some of…
ruakh
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6 answers
Can you be punished for planning a crime and what constitutes "planning"?
I just read a different question here on Law.SE that asked something along the lines of "Would it be illegal to do XYZ? I want to do this, but I'm not sure if it's legal."
So, that seems like a completely reasonable question and I don't think anyone…
Vilx-
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Can a 401k plan exclude Union members?
John Hancock manages our 401k at work, they have under eligibility,
Excluded employees: Union employees, Nonresident Aliens, and Leased Employees; 21 years of age and 3 consecutive months
My workplace isn't even unionized. It just shocks me that a…
Evan Carroll
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25
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3 answers
Can a software company forbid individuals to consult on how to use their software?
I read on https://easychair.org/licenses:
Please note that we do not allow any organizations or individuals whose professional duties include conference organisation or who are paid, in any form, for doing so to resell our services or consult on…
Franck Dernoncourt
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3 answers
Is simple possession of a copyright-infringing item legal in the USA?
There are quite a few laws in the USA (mostly at the Federal level) governing copyright and how to handle infringement. Most of these laws seem to establish criminal and/or civil liability for the act of copying rather than simple possession.
So, my…
Robert Columbia
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8 answers
If someone stops a potential murder by subduing a gunman, what would be the possible consequences?
I'm writing a story and I wanted some accuracy on this matter, specifically for the consequences on the person to whom this would happen.
Imagine an off-duty security guard, while walking home, finds a man pointing a gun at an unarmed man and child.…
SuperYoshikong
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Can a policeman have his service weapon on him in a building that does not allow guns?
I am French, so the US regulations about who can hold a gun where are complicated for me, I apologise if the question is obvious in the US.
YouTube brought me to a 2019 case (the TV News version and the bodycam version with more details) where a…
WoJ
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25
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4 answers
Can a person purposely provoke someone to hit him and then report a crime?
Say someone purposely provokes another person by insulting him, knowing that this person is easily provoked.
The provoked person then hits him.
Can the person then report a crime or even file a civil lawsuit on his assaulter, all in the aim of…
user1034912
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