Latest news with #constitutionalCrisis
Daily Mail
04-08-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
How the Queen Mother dealt with grandchildren's divorce misery: The profound effect marriage breakdowns had on the royal, dubbed 'imperial ostrich' over her views - on what would have been her 125th birthday
Today would have marked the Queen Mother 's 125th birthday and in her long and remarkable life she witnessed massive changes in attitudes within Britain. She lived to see the legalisation of abortion and homosexuality as well as the criminalisation of capital punishment. But the societal change that perhaps most impacted Elizabeth was the growing societal acceptance of divorce in Britain. Indeed, the Royal Family 's hostility to divorce in the 1930s was part of the reason her husband King George VI ascended to the throne. This came about after King Edward VIII caused a major constitutional crisis in 1936 when he made clear his wish to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. This ended with Edward abdicating and his younger brother taking his place. Looking forward 60 years, Elizabeth and George's daughter Queen Elizabeth II faced a cacophony of divorces, with three out of her four children in unhappy marriages. According to William Shawcross, who wrote the Queen Mother's official biography, the breakdowns of her grandchildrens' marriages affected her 'profoundly' and although she 'rarely committed her views to paper' she gave them as much support as they needed. Shawcross wrote the Royal Family were very aware of how unhappy Charles and Diana's marriage was long before their divorce. 'The births of their [Charles and Diana] two much-loved sons, Prince William in 1982 and Prince Harry in 1984, gave joy to them as well as to everyone else in the family. 'But hopes that motherhood would bring the princess fulfilment proved illusory. Within the family, enthusiasm and hopes for the marriage gave way to anxiety and concern.' And by 1986 the Queen Mother and other family members were very aware the Prince and Princess of Wales's marriage had 'all but broken down'. On top of this, Princess Anne had her own marital problems and she became Elizabeth's first granddaughter to separate from her husband, Captain Mark Phillips, in 1989 and by 1992 they were divorced. And then Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's marriage started to deteriorate just six years after their wedding in 1986. By 1992 the Royals faced the prospect of not one but an unprecedented three royal divorces. In the midst of these crises, the matriarch of the Windsors was willing to give her grandchildren as much support as she could. However, while some wanted advice from her, Elizabeth always wished to avoid confrontation within the family. Shawcross said that her stance earnt the Queen Mother the unflattering nickname of the 'imperial ostrich' - in reference to her tendency to put her head in the sand duirng more difficult family affairs. 'She thought her role was not to try and change people's courses but to be an anchor,' he wrote. Even if she did want to metaphorically bury her head in the sand, the Queen Mother's grandchildren still leaned on her throughout this difficult time. In December 1992, Elizabeth was shown by Charles the draft statement to be made by the Prime Minister announcing his separation from Diana. The Queen Mother's old school views on privacy also clashed with how Diana and Sarah Ferguson handled the breakdown of their marriages. In June 1992, the Sunday Times started to serialise Andrew Morton's biography of Diana, which the Princess of Wales had covertly collaborated on. Then in August that year, damning photos of John Bryan, an American financial manager, sucking on Sarah's toes as she sunbathed were published in the UK press. Charles kisses his grandmother's hand. In December 1992, Elizabeth was shown by Charles the draft statement to be made by the Prime Minister announcing his separation from Diana Shawcross said: 'She [The Queen Mother] had been sympathetic to both the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York over the enormous pressure they faced from the media. 'But the washing of dirty linen in public was utterly abhorrent to Elizabeth. Her entire life was based upon obligation, discretion and restraint. 'The Princess's [Diana's] public rejection of her husband and his life was contrary to everything that Elizabeth believed and practiced.' Likewise, she 'regretted' when Charles sat down for a series of interviews with journalist Jonathan Dimbleby. In response, Elizabeth said: 'It's always a mistake to talk about your marriage.' One person she was particularly concerned about through the drama of 1992 was her daughter Queen Elizabeth II who went on to describe the year as her 'annus horribilis'. Shawcross said: 'She also talked almost daily to her daughter the Queen, who was distraught about what was happening to her children and the fact that it was taking place so publicly. 'Queen Elizabeth often asked members of the Household, "Is the Queen alright?" They in turn recognized that the frequent conversations between mother and daughter helped the Queen to maintain her sangfroid and sense of perspective.' One person she was particularly concerned about through the drama of 1992 was her daughter Queen Elizabeth II who went onto describe the year as her 'annus horribilis' The end of the year ended on a high at least when Princess Anne married Commander Tim Lawrence on December 12. The ceremony took place at Crathie church near Balmoral. However, the wedding happened to clash with one of the Queen Mother's parties at the Royal Lodge in Windsor. But in order not to miss her granddaughter's second wedding the 92-year-old flew to Scotland for the ceremony before flying back to Windsor in time for dinner with her party guests.
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Justice Department files misconduct complaint against federal judge handling deportation case
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Monday filed a misconduct complaint against the federal judge who has clashed with President Donald Trump 's administration over deportations to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Escalating the administration's conflict with U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that she directed the filing of the complaint against Boasberg 'for making improper public comments about Donald Trump and his administration.' The complaint stems from remarks Boasberg allegedly made in March to Chief Justice John Roberts and other federal judges saying the administration would trigger a constitutional crisis by disregarding federal court rulings, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by The Associated Press. The comments 'have undermined the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary,' the complaint says, adding that the administration has 'always complied with all court orders.' Boasberg is among several judges who have questioned whether the administration has complied with their orders. The meeting took place days before Boasberg issued an order blocking deportation flights that Trump was carrying out by invoking wartime authorities from an 18th century law. The judge's verbal order to turn around planes that were on the way to El Salvador was ignored. Boasberg has since found probable cause that the administration committed contempt of court. The comments were supposedly made during a meeting of the Judicial Conference, the federal judiciary's governing body. The remarks were first reported by the conservative website The Federalist, which said it obtained a memo summarizing the meeting. Boasberg, the chief judge in the district court in the nation's capital, is a member of the Judicial Conference. Its meetings are not public. The complaint calls for an investigation, the reassignment of the deportations case to another judge while the inquiry is ongoing and sanctions, including the possible recommendation of impeachment, if the investigation substantiates the allegations. Trump himself already has called for Boasberg's impeachment, which in turn prompted a rare response from Roberts rejecting the call. The complaint was filed with Judge Sri Srinivasan, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. More than 250 Venezuelans who were deported to a Salvadoran mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, were sent home to Venezuela earlier this month in a deal that also free 10 U.S. citizens and permanent residents who had been held by Venezuela. But the lawsuit over the deportations and the administration's response to Boasberg's order remains in his court.
CNN
10-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
South Korea's former President Yoon Suk Yeol back in custody over insurrection probe
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is back in custody over an independent investigation into his declaration of martial law last year. According to the independent counsel leading the probe, the Seoul Central District Court approved a warrant for Yoon's re-arrest early Thursday morning, because of concerns over the destruction of evidence. Yoon's shocking December declaration plunged South Korea into a constitutional crisis and was widely condemned as striking at the heart of the nation's democracy. He reversed course within six hours, after lawmakers forced their way into parliament and voted unanimously to block it. Yoon was detained in January on charges of leading an insurrection, becoming the first president in South Korean history to be arrested while in office. He was released in March after the Seoul court canceled his arrest warrant for technical reasons. In April, the Constitutional Court unanimously ruled to remove Yoon from office, calling his actions a 'grave betrayal of the people's trust.' He has since faced multiple criminal investigations. According to the independent counsel, Yoon is now facing charges including abuse of power and obstruction of official duties. In a leaked warrant request, the counsel alleged that Yoon declared martial law in an attempt to overcome political gridlock caused by the opposition party's majority in the National Assembly and its impeachment of several senior officials. He is accused of deploying troops to block lawmakers from entering the national assembly building to overturn the decree and of giving orders to 'break down the doors' of parliament and 'drag people out, even if it takes firing guns.' Yoon's lawyers deny he ordered the use of firearms. The counsel also alleges that Yoon instructed his commander to prioritize the arrest of key political figures, including the then opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who is now the country's president. He is further accused of ordering the presidential security service to obscure communication records from secure phones used afte the martial law was lifted. In addition, Yoon is accused of obstructing warrant executions by the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) in December and January by mobilizing the presidential security detail and authorizing the use of force. Yoon's lawyers said the warrant request was 'rushed and unjustified' and called the investigation 'flawed and politically motivated.' They said the independent counsel's questions during Yoon's investigation were only at a basic level regarding the allegations, and that the warrant request did not include any treason charges. They added that most individuals involved have already been detained and are standing trial, so all relevant evidence has been secured and there is no risk of evidence being destroyed. Independent counsel teams were established to investigate Yoon following his removal from office, and the election of Lee in a snap presidential election in June.
CNN
10-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
South Korea's former President Yoon Suk Yeol back in custody over insurrection probe
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is back in custody over an independent investigation into his declaration of martial law last year. According to the independent counsel leading the probe, the Seoul Central District Court approved a warrant for Yoon's re-arrest early Thursday morning, because of concerns over the destruction of evidence. Yoon's shocking December declaration plunged South Korea into a constitutional crisis and was widely condemned as striking at the heart of the nation's democracy. He reversed course within six hours, after lawmakers forced their way into parliament and voted unanimously to block it. Yoon was detained in January on charges of leading an insurrection, becoming the first president in South Korean history to be arrested while in office. He was released in March after the Seoul court canceled his arrest warrant for technical reasons. In April, the Constitutional Court unanimously ruled to remove Yoon from office, calling his actions a 'grave betrayal of the people's trust.' He has since faced multiple criminal investigations. According to the independent counsel, Yoon is now facing charges including abuse of power and obstruction of official duties. In a leaked warrant request, the counsel alleged that Yoon declared martial law in an attempt to overcome political gridlock caused by the opposition party's majority in the National Assembly and its impeachment of several senior officials. He is accused of deploying troops to block lawmakers from entering the national assembly building to overturn the decree and of giving orders to 'break down the doors' of parliament and 'drag people out, even if it takes firing guns.' Yoon's lawyers deny he ordered the use of firearms. The counsel also alleges that Yoon instructed his commander to prioritize the arrest of key political figures, including the then opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who is now the country's president. He is further accused of ordering the presidential security service to obscure communication records from secure phones used afte the martial law was lifted. In addition, Yoon is accused of obstructing warrant executions by the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) in December and January by mobilizing the presidential security detail and authorizing the use of force. Yoon's lawyers said the warrant request was 'rushed and unjustified' and called the investigation 'flawed and politically motivated.' They said the independent counsel's questions during Yoon's investigation were only at a basic level regarding the allegations, and that the warrant request did not include any treason charges. They added that most individuals involved have already been detained and are standing trial, so all relevant evidence has been secured and there is no risk of evidence being destroyed. Independent counsel teams were established to investigate Yoon following his removal from office, and the election of Lee in a snap presidential election in June.
Free Malaysia Today
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Ramasamy backs calls for RCI on judicial appointments
Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy claimed that the decision not to extend the contract of former top judges was widely perceived as a deliberate move to weaken an otherwise vibrant judiciary. PETALING JAYA : Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy has backed calls for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to examine delays in judicial appointments. On Monday, Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli and several other PKR MPs proposed an RCI and a parliamentary select committee hearing following delays in the appointment of top judicial positions, including the chief justice. In a statement today, Ramasamy claimed that the decision not to extend the contract of top judges had been widely perceived as a deliberate move to weaken an otherwise vibrant judiciary. He said the decision, along with recent appointments to the Federal Court and the 'opaque' decision-making process of the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) regarding the extension of terms for retiring judges, raised questions about transparency and the influence of the executive in judicial matters. 'This sustained interference by the executive portends a constitutional crisis of unprecedented scale,' he claimed. 'The judiciary – the final bulwark for the rights of Malaysian citizens – is being battered by unchecked executive power. 'There must be an RCI to investigate these serious allegations.' Claims of a constitutional crisis surfaced ahead of the mandatory retirement of chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and Court of Appeal president Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim last week. Chief Judge of Malaya Hasnah Hashim is currently serving as acting chief justice while Federal Court judge Zabariah Yusof has been made acting Court of Appeal president. In a statement yesterday, the Attorney-General's Chambers said any suggestion of a constitutional crisis was unfounded as the appointments were proceeding in accordance with the Federal Constitution.
