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Military Commissions Act of 2006

 

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Military Commissions Act of 2006



 
 
The United States Military Commissions Act of 2006, also known as HR-6166, was an Act of Congress signed by President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 George W. Bush
George W. Bush

George Walker Bush served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He was the 46th List of Governors of Texas from 1995 to 2000 before being United States presidential inauguration as President on January 20, 2001....
 on October 17, 2006. Drafted in the wake of the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal United States federal courts. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed with th...
's decision on Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld

Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, Case citation , is a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that Guantanamo military commissions set up by the George W....
, the Act's stated purpose was "To authorize trial by military commission for violations of the law of war, and for other purposes."

Following the filing of Al Odah v. United States
Al Odah v. United States

Al Odah v. United States is a court case filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights and co-counsels challenging the legality of the continued detention, without charge, of Guantanamo Bay detention camp detainees....
, section 7 of the MCA was found to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal United States federal courts. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed with th...
 on June 12, 2008.
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The United States Military Commissions Act of 2006, also known as HR-6166, was an Act of Congress signed by President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 George W. Bush
George W. Bush

George Walker Bush served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He was the 46th List of Governors of Texas from 1995 to 2000 before being United States presidential inauguration as President on January 20, 2001....
 on October 17, 2006. Drafted in the wake of the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal United States federal courts. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed with th...
's decision on Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld

Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, Case citation , is a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that Guantanamo military commissions set up by the George W....
, the Act's stated purpose was "To authorize trial by military commission for violations of the law of war, and for other purposes."

Following the filing of Al Odah v. United States
Al Odah v. United States

Al Odah v. United States is a court case filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights and co-counsels challenging the legality of the continued detention, without charge, of Guantanamo Bay detention camp detainees....
, section 7 of the MCA was found to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal United States federal courts. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed with th...
 on June 12, 2008.

Scope of the Act

Sec. 948b. Military commissions generally Purpose— This chapter establishes procedures governing the use of military commissions to try alien unlawful enemy combatants engaged in hostilities against the United States for violations of the law of war and other offenses triable by military commission.

Authority for Military Commissions Under This Chapter— The President is authorized to establish military commissions under this chapter for offenses triable by military commission as provided in this chapter.

Construction of Provisions— The procedures for military commissions set forth in this chapter are based upon the procedures for trial by general court-martial under chapter 47 of this title (the Uniform Code of Military Justice
Uniform Code of Military Justice

The Uniform Code of Military Justice is the foundation of military law in the United States. The UCMJ applies to all members of the Uniformed services of the United States: the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Coast Guard, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administratio...
). Chapter 47 of this title does not, by its terms, apply to trial by military commission except as specifically provided in this chapter. The judicial construction and application of that chapter are not binding on military commissions established under this chapter.

Inapplicability of Certain Provisions— (1) The following provisions of this title shall not apply to trial by military commission under this chapter:

Section 810 (article 10 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), relating to speedy trial, including any rule of courts-martial relating to speedy trial.


Sections 831(a), (b), and (d) (articles 31(a), (b), and (d) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), relating to compulsory self-incrimination.


Section 832 (article 32 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), relating to pretrial investigation.


Other provisions of chapter 47 of this title shall apply to trial by military commission under this chapter only to the extent provided by this chapter.

Treatment of Rulings and Precedents— The findings, holdings, interpretations, and other precedents of military commissions under this chapter may not be introduced or considered in any hearing, trial, or other proceeding of a court-martial convened under chapter 47 of this title. The findings, holdings, interpretations, and other precedents of military commissions under this chapter may not form the basis of any holding, decision, or other determination of a court-martial convened under that chapter.

Status of Commissions Under Common Article 3— A military commission established under this chapter is a regularly constituted court, affording all the necessary `judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples' for purposes of common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions
Geneva Conventions

The Geneva Conventions consist of four treaties formulated in Geneva, Switzerland, that set the standards for international law for humanitarian concerns....
.

Geneva Conventions Not Establishing Source of Rights— No alien unlawful enemy combatant subject to trial by military commission under this chapter may invoke the Geneva Conventions as a source of rights.

Sec. 948c. Persons subject to military commissions
Any alien unlawful enemy combatant is subject to trial by military commission under this chapter.


Sec. 948d. Jurisdiction of military commissions Jurisdiction— A military commission under this chapter shall have jurisdiction to try any offense made punishable by this chapter or the law of war when committed by an alien unlawful enemy combatant before, on, or after September 11, 2001.

Lawful Enemy Combatants— Military commissions under this chapter shall not have jurisdiction over lawful enemy combatants. Lawful enemy combatants who violate the law of war are subject to chapter 47 of this title. Courts-martial established under that chapter shall have jurisdiction to try a lawful enemy combatant for any offense made punishable under this chapter.

Determination of Unlawful Enemy Combatant Status Dispositive— A finding, whether before, on, or after the date of the enactment of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, by a Combatant Status Review Tribunal or another competent tribunal established under the authority of the President or the Secretary of Defense that a person is an unlawful enemy combatant is dispositive for purposes of jurisdiction for trial by military commission under this chapter.

Punishments— A military commission under this chapter may, under such limitations as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe, adjudge any punishment not forbidden by this chapter, including the penalty of death when authorized under this chapter or the law of war.


The term "competent tribunal
Competent tribunal

Competent Tribunal is a term used wikisource:Third Geneva Convention#Article 5 paragraph 2 of the Third Geneva Convention, which states:...
"
is not defined in the Act itself. It is defined in the US Army Field Manual, section 27–10, for the purpose of determining whether a person is or is not entitled to prisoner of war
Prisoner of war

A prisoner of war is a combatant who is held in continuing custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict....
 status, and consists of a board of not less than three officers. It is also a term used in Article five of the third Geneva Convention
Third Geneva Convention

The Third Geneva Convention of 1949 , one of the Geneva Conventions, is a treaty agreement that primarily concerns the treatment of prisoners of war , and also touched on other topics....
. However, the rights guaranteed by the third Geneva Convention to lawful combatants are expressly denied to unlawful military combatants for the purposes of this Act by Section 948b (see above).

Unlawful and lawful enemy combatant


"Any alien unlawful enemy combatant is subject to trial by military commission under chapter 47A – Military Commissions (of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 ()). The definition of unlawful and lawful enemy combatant is given in

The Act also defines an alien as "a person who is not a citizen of the United States", and a co-belligerent to mean "any State or armed force joining and directly engaged with the United States in hostilities or directly supporting hostilities against a common enemy."

Provisions


The Act changes pre-existing law to forbid explicitly the invocation of the Geneva Conventions when executing the writ of habeas corpus or in other civil actions [Act sec. 5(a)]. This provision applies to all cases pending at the time the Act is enacted, as well as to all such future cases.

If the government chooses to bring a prosecution against the detainee, a military commission is convened for this purpose. The following rules are some of those established for trying alien unlawful enemy combatants.

‘‘(b) NOTICE TO ACCUSED—Upon the swearing of the charges and specifications in accordance with subsection (a), the accused shall be informed of the charges against him as soon as practicable.
  • A civilian defense attorney
    Attorney at law

    An attorney at law in the United States is a practitioner in a court who is legally qualified to Prosecutor and defend actions in such court on the Retainer agreement of clients....
     may not be used unless the attorney has been determined to be eligible for access to classified information that is classified at the level Secret or higher. []


  • A finding of Guilty by a particular commission requires only a two-thirds majority of the members of the commission present at the time the vote is taken []


  • In General— No person may invoke the Geneva Conventions or any protocols thereto in any habeas corpus or other civil action or proceeding to which the United States, or a current or former officer, employee, member of the Armed Forces, or other agent of the United States is a party as a source of rights in any court of the United States or its States or territories. []


  • As provided by the Constitution and by this section, the President has the authority for the United States to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions and to promulgate higher standards and administrative regulations for violations of treaty obligations which are not grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. []


  • No person may, without his consent, be tried by a military commission under this chapter a second time for the same offense. [].


The Act also contains provisions (often referred to as the "habeas provisions") removing access to the courts for any alien detained by the United States government who is determined to be an enemy combatant, or who is 'awaiting determination' regarding enemy combatant status. This allows the United States government to detain such aliens indefinitely without prosecuting them in any manner.

These provisions are as follows:
(e)(1) No court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider an application for a writ of habeas corpus filed by or on behalf of an alien detained by the United States who has been determined by the United States to have been properly detained as an enemy combatant or is awaiting such determination. (2) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of section  1005(e) of the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 ( note), no court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider any other action against the United States or its agents relating to any aspect of the detention, transfer, treatment, trial, or conditions of confinement of an alien who is or was detained by the United States and has been determined by the United States to have been properly detained as an enemy combatant or is awaiting such determination.


Applicability

There is a controversy over whether this law affects the rights of habeas corpus for United States citizens.

The text of the law states that its "purpose" is to "establish procedures governing the use of military commissions to try alien
Alien (law)

In U.S. law, an alien is "any person not a United States citizen or United States national of the United States." The U.S. Government's use of alien dates back to 1798, when it was used in the Alien and Sedition Acts....
 unlawful enemy combatants engaged in hostilities against the United States for violations of the law of war and other offenses triable by military commission." While the most controversial provisions in the law refer to "alien unlawful enemy combatants", section 948a refers to "unlawful enemy combatants" (not explicitly excluding US citizens).

Cato Institute
Cato Institute

The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C.The Institute's stated mission is "to broaden the parameters of Public policy debate to allow consideration of the traditional United States principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets, and peace" by striving "to achieve greater involveme...
 legal scholar Robert A. Levy
Robert A. Levy

Robert A. Levy is the chairman of the libertarian Cato Institute and the organizer and financier behind District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court Case that established the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution as affirming an individual right to gun ownership....
 writes that the Act denies habeas rights
Habeas corpus

For the Living Things CD, see Habeas Corpus Habeas corpus is a legal action, or writ, through which a person can seek justice from the unlawful detention of him or herself, or of another person....
 only to aliens, and that US citizens detained as "unlawful combatants" would still have habeas rights with which to challenge their indefinite detention. While formally opposed to the Act, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch is a United States based, international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City....
 has also concluded that the new law limits the scope of trials by military commissions to non-US citizens including all legal aliens. CBS
CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American radio network and television network. The name is derived from the initials of Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name....
 legal commentator Andrew Cohen, commenting on this question, writes that the "suspension of the writ of habeas corpus
Habeas corpus

For the Living Things CD, see Habeas Corpus Habeas corpus is a legal action, or writ, through which a person can seek justice from the unlawful detention of him or herself, or of another person....
—the ability of an imprisoned person to challenge their confinement in court—applies only to resident aliens within the United States as well as other foreign nationals captured here and abroad" and that "it does not restrict the rights and freedoms and liberties of U.S. citizens anymore than they already have been restricted."

On the other hand, congressman David Wu
David Wu

David Wu is a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives for Oregon, representing the state's , which includes a small section of western Multnomah County, Oregon and all of Yamhill County, Oregon, Columbia County, Oregon, Clatsop County, Oregon and Washington County, Oregon Counties....
 (D–OR) stated in the debate over the bill on the floor of the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as "the House", is one of the bicameralism of the United States Congress; the other is the United States Senate....
 that "by so restricting habeas corpus, this bill does not just apply to enemy aliens. It applies to all Americans because, while the provision on page 93 has the word "alien in it, the provision on page 61 does not have the word alien in it." For more on this interpretation, see criticism.

Legislative history

The bill passed the Senate, 65–34, on September 28, 2006.

The bill passed in the House, 250–170–12, on September 29, 2006.

Bush signed the bill into law on October 17, 2006.

Legislative actions in the Senate

Several amendments were proposed before final passage of the bill by the Senate; all were defeated. Among them were an amendment by Robert Byrd
Robert Byrd

Robert Carlyle Byrd is the Senior Senator United States United States Senate from West Virginia, and a member and former leader of the Democratic Party ....
 which would have added a sunset provision after five years, an amendment by Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy

Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy is the Senior Senator United States Senate from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party . In office since November 1962, Kennedy is the list of current United States Senators by seniority member of the Senate, after President pro tempore of the United States Senate Robert Byrd of West Virginia....
 which would have outlawed specific interrogation techniques including waterboarding
Waterboarding

Waterboarding is a form of torture consisting of immobilizing the victim on his or her back with the head inclined downwards, and then pouring water over the face and into the breathing passages....
 (SA.5088), and an amendment by Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter

Arlen Specter is the senior senator United States Senate from Pennsylvania and a member of the United States Republican Party. Elected in 1980, he is currently the Seniority in the United States Senate as well as 5th most senior Republican in this body....
 (R
Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party . It is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP....
PA
List of United States Senators from Pennsylvania

This is a chronological listing of the United States Senators from Pennsylvania.United States Senate are popularly elected, for a six-year term, beginning January 3....
) and Patrick Leahy
Patrick Leahy

Patrick Joseph Leahy is the senior United States Senate from Vermont. He is a member of the Democratic Party , and is the current chairman of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary....
 (D
Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party . It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world....
VT
List of United States Senators from Vermont

Vermont was admitted to the Union on March 4, 1791. Its current United States Senators are Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders....
) preserving habeas corpus. Specter's amendment was rejected by a vote of 51–48. Specter voted for the bill despite the defeat of his amendment. The bill was finally passed by the House on September 29, 2006 and presented to the President for signing on October 10, 2006.

Final passage in the Senate

Party AYE NAY ABS
Republicans 53 1 1
Democrats 12 32 0
Independent 0 1 0
Total 65 34 1


Final passage in the House


  • AYE = Votes for the act
  • NAY = Votes against the act
  • ABS = Abstentions/no votes

Support

Supporters of the act say that the Constitutional provision guaranteeing habeas corpus
Habeas corpus

For the Living Things CD, see Habeas Corpus Habeas corpus is a legal action, or writ, through which a person can seek justice from the unlawful detention of him or herself, or of another person....
 does not apply to alien enemy combatants engaged in hostilities against the United States, and that the provisions of the Act removing habeas corpus
Habeas corpus

For the Living Things CD, see Habeas Corpus Habeas corpus is a legal action, or writ, through which a person can seek justice from the unlawful detention of him or herself, or of another person....
 do not apply to United States citizens; they conclude that therefore the law does not conflict with the Constitution.

National Review
National Review

National Review is a biweekly magazine and web site, founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr. in 1955 and based in New York City....
 columnist Andrew McCarthy argued that since the law applies to "aliens with no immigration status who are captured and held outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and whose only connection to our country is to wage a barbaric war against it" they do not have a constitutional right to habeas corpus. McCarthy also wrote that the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, while not allowing a standard habeas corpus review, provides that each detainee "has a right to appeal to our civilian-justice system. — specifically, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. And if that appeal is unsuccessful, the terrorist may also seek certiorari review by the Supreme Court." John Yoo
John Yoo

John Choon Yoo is an United States visiting professor of Law at the Chapman University Chapman University School of Law in Orange County, CA. He is known for his work from 2001 to 2003 in the United States Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, assisting the United States Attorney General in his function as legal advisor to George W...
, a former Bush Administration Justice Department
United States Department of Justice

The United States Department of Justice is a United States Cabinet department in the United States government of the United States designed to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans ....
 official and current professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley is a public university research university located in Berkeley, California, California, United States. The oldest of the ten major campuses affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley offers some 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines....
, called the Act a “stinging rebuke” of the Supreme Court's Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld

Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, Case citation , is a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that Guantanamo military commissions set up by the George W....
 ruling, calling that ruling “an unprecedented attempt by the court to rewrite the law of war and intrude into war policy.” Yoo cited Johnson v. Eisentrager
Johnson v. Eisentrager

Johnson v. Eisentrager, Case citation , was a major decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, where it decided that U.S. courts had no jurisdiction over German war criminals held in a U.S.-administered German prison....
, in which the court decided that it would not hear habeas claims brought by alien enemy prisoners held outside the US and refused to interpret the Geneva Conventions to give rights in civilian court against the government.

Formerly Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel

Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the army and most Marine and air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel....
 in the US Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps
Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Army

The Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army is composed of Army officers who are also lawyers and who provide legal services to the Army at all levels of command....
 and current professor at St. Mary's University School of Law
St. Mary's University School of Law

The St. Mary's University School of Law has the distinction of being the oldest Catholic law school in the American Southwest. It is located in San Antonio, Texas....
, Jeffrey Addicott wrote “the new Military Commissions Act reflects a clear and much-needed Congressional commitment to the war on terror, which to this point has been largely conducted in legal terms by the executive branch with occasional interjections from the judiciary”.

George W. Bush
George W. Bush

George Walker Bush served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He was the 46th List of Governors of Texas from 1995 to 2000 before being United States presidential inauguration as President on January 20, 2001....
, President of the United States
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
:
Today, the Senate sent a strong signal to the terrorists that we will continue using every element of national power to pursue our enemies and to prevent attacks on America. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 will allow the continuation of a CIA program that has been one of America's most potent tools in fighting the War on Terror. Under this program, suspected terrorists have been detained and questioned about threats against our country. Information we have learned from the program has helped save lives at home and abroad. By authorizing the creation of military commissions, the Act will also allow us to prosecute suspected terrorists for war crimes.


John McCain
John McCain

John Sidney McCain III is the senior senator United States United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican Party presidential nominee in the 2008 United States presidential election....
, United States Senator:
Simply put, this legislation ensures that we respect our obligations under Geneva, recognizes the President’s constitutional authority to interpret treaties, and brings accountability and transparency to the process of interpretation by ensuring that the executive’s interpretation is made public. I would note that there has been opposition to this legislation from some quarters, including the New York Times editorial page. Without getting into a point-by-point rebuttal here on the floor, I would simply say that I have been reading the Congressional Record trying to find the bill that page so vociferously denounced. The hyperbolic attack is aimed not at any bill this body is today debating, nor even at the Administration’s original position. I can only presume that some would prefer that Congress simply ignore the Hamdan decision, and pass no legislation at all. That, I suggest to my colleagues, would be a travesty. .


Criticism


MCA as an unconstitutional suspension of Habeas Corpus

The Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal United States federal courts. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed with th...
 ruled in Boumediene v. Bush
Boumediene v. Bush

Boumediene v. Bush, Case citation , was a habeas corpus submission made in a civilian court of the United States on behalf of Lakhdar Boumediene, a naturalized citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina, held in military detention by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps....
 that the MCA constituted an unconstitutional encroachment of Habeas Corpus
Habeas corpus

For the Living Things CD, see Habeas Corpus Habeas corpus is a legal action, or writ, through which a person can seek justice from the unlawful detention of him or herself, or of another person....
 rights, and established jurisdiction for federal courts to hear petitions for habeas corpus from Guantanamo detainees tried under the Act.

Additionally, a number of legal scholars and Congressional members—including Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter

Arlen Specter is the senior senator United States Senate from Pennsylvania and a member of the United States Republican Party. Elected in 1980, he is currently the Seniority in the United States Senate as well as 5th most senior Republican in this body....
 (R
Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party . It is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP....
PA
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
)—have said that the habeas provision of the Act violates a clause of the Constitution that says the right to challenge detention "shall not be suspended" except in cases of "rebellion or invasion."

In the House debate, Representative David Wu
David Wu

David Wu is a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives for Oregon, representing the state's , which includes a small section of western Multnomah County, Oregon and all of Yamhill County, Oregon, Columbia County, Oregon, Clatsop County, Oregon and Washington County, Oregon Counties....
 of Oregon
Oregon

Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
 offered this scenario:

Let us say that my wife, who is here in the gallery with us tonight, a sixth generation Oregonian, is walking by the friendly, local military base and is picked up as an unlawful enemy combatant. What is her recourse? She says, “I am a U.S. citizen”. That is a jurisdictional fact under this statute, and she will not have recourse to the courts? She can take it to Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld

Donald Henry Rumsfeld is a United States businessman, politician, the 13th United States Secretary of Defense under President of the United States Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977, and the 21st United States Secretary of Defense under President George W....
, but she cannot take it across the street to an article 3 court.


One Bush administration critic has described the Act as "the legalization of the José Padilla
José Padilla (alleged terrorist)

Jos? Padilla , also known as Abdullah al-Muhajir or Muhajir Abdullah, is a United States citizen convicted of aiding terrorism. Padilla was arrested in Chicago on May 8, 2002, and was detained as a material witness until June 9, 2002, when George W....
 treatment"—referring to the American citizen who was declared an unlawful enemy combatant and then imprisoned for three years before finally being charged with a lesser crime than was originally alleged. A legal brief filed on Padilla's behalf alleges that during his imprisonment Padilla was subjected to sensory deprivation
Sensory deprivation

Sensory deprivation is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimulus from one or more of the senses. Simple devices such as blindfolds or Hood and earmuffs can cut off sight and hearing respectively, while more complex devices can also cut off the sense of smell, touch, taste, thermoception , and 'gravity'....
, sleep deprivation
Sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation is a general lack of the necessary amount of sleep. This may occur as a result of sleep disorders, active choice or deliberate inducement such as in interrogation or for torture....
, and enforced stress positions. He continues to be held by the United States.

According to Bill Goodman, Legal Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights
Center for Constitutional Rights

The Center for Constitutional Rights is a non-profit legal advocacy organization based in New York City, New York, United States, co-founded in 1966 by self-described "radical lawyer" William Kunstler....
, and Joanne Mariner, from FindLaw
FindLaw

FindLaw.com is a free legal information web portal owned by Thomson Reuters. It was created by Stacy Stern, Martin Roscheisen and Tim Stanley in 1995, and after becoming the highest-trafficked law and government site on the Internet, was acquired by Thomson West in 2001....
, this bill redefines unlawful enemy combatant in such a broad way that it refers to any person who is
engaged in hostilities or who has purposefully and materially supported hostilities against the United States.


From Section 950q. Principals:
Any person is punishable as a principal under this chapter who commits an offense punishable by this chapter, or aids, abets, counsels, commands, or procures its commission.


This makes it possible for US citizens to be designated unlawful enemy combatant because
it could be read to include anyone who has donated money to a charity for orphans in Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
 that turns out to have some connection to the Taliban or a person organizing an anti-war protest in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....


As such, habeas corpus might be denied to US citizens. Jennifer Van Bergen, a journalist with a law degree, responds to the comment that habeas corpus has never been afforded to foreign combatants with the suggestion that, using the current sweeping definition of war on terror and unlawful combatant
Unlawful combatant

An unlawful combatant or unprivileged combatant/belligerent is a civilian who directly engages in armed conflict in violation of International Humanitarian Law and may be detained or prosecuted under the domestic law of the detaining state for such action....
, it is impossible to know where the battlefield is and who combatants are. Also, she notes that most of the detentions are already unlawful.

The Act also suggests that unlawful enemy combatant refers to any person
who, before, on, or after the date of the enactment of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, has been determined to be an unlawful enemy combatant by a Combatant Status Review Tribunal or another competent tribunal established under the authority of the President or the Secretary of Defense.
Some commentators have interpreted this to mean that if the President says you are an enemy combatant, then you effectively are.

  • Patrick Leahy
    Patrick Leahy

    Patrick Joseph Leahy is the senior United States Senate from Vermont. He is a member of the Democratic Party , and is the current chairman of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary....
    , United States Senator:
Passing laws that remove the few checks against mistreatment of prisoners will not help us win the battle for the hearts and minds of the generation of young people around the world being recruited by Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden

Osama bin Laden is a member of the prominent Saudi Arabia bin Laden family and the founder of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda, best known for the September 11 attacks on the United States....
 and al Qaeda. Authorizing indefinite detention of anybody the Government designates, without any proceeding and without any recourse—is what our worst critics claim the United States would do, not what American values, traditions and our rule of law would have us do. This is not just a bad bill, this is a dangerous bill. .


Claims the MCA is an unconstitutional ex post facto law


Another criticism is that the Act violates the Constitution's prohibition against ex post facto
Ex Post Facto

Ex Post Facto may refer to:* Ex Post Facto , the eighth episode of Star Trek: Voyager* An ex post facto law, a law that retroactively changes the legal consequences of acts committed prior to the enactment of the law...
 laws. Pro human rights group Human Rights First
Human Rights First

Human Rights First is a New York City-based association formerly known as the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights.The organization works on a host of domestic and international rights from a legal perspective....
 stated that "In violation of this fundamental tenet of the rule of law, defendants could be convicted for actions that were not illegal when they were taken." Joanne Mariner, an attorney who serves as the Terrorism and Counterterrorism Program Director at Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch is a United States based, international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City....
, described the issue this way:
The MCA states that it does not create any new crimes, but simply codifies offenses "that have traditionally been triable by military commissions." This provision is meant to convince the courts that there are no ex post facto problems with the offenses that the bill lists. In Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, however, a plurality of the Supreme Court (four justices) found that conspiracy—one of the offenses enumerated in the MCA—was not a crime triable by military commission. The bill's statement that conspiracy is a traditional war crime, does not, by legislative fiat, make it so.


Law professor John P. Cerone, the co-chair of the American Society of International Law
American Society of International Law

The American Society of International Law is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational membership organization, based in Washington, D.C.. It was founded in 1906, and was chartered by the United States Congress in 1950....
 Human Rights Interest Group, adds that the Act "risks running afoul of the principle against ex post facto criminalization, as recognized in international law (article 15 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a United Nations treaty based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, created in 1966 and coming into force on 23 March 1976....
) as well as US constitutional law."

Protections from criminal and civil prosecutions for previous instances of alleged torture


Two provisions of the MCA have been criticized for allegedly making it harder to prosecute and convict officers and employees of the US government for misconduct in office.

First, the MCA changed the definition of war crimes for which US government defendants can be prosecuted. Under the War Crimes Act of 1996
War Crimes Act of 1996

The War Crimes Act of 1996 was passed with overwhelming majorities by the United States Congress and signed into law by President of the United States Bill Clinton....
, any violation of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions
Third Geneva Convention

The Third Geneva Convention of 1949 , one of the Geneva Conventions, is a treaty agreement that primarily concerns the treatment of prisoners of war , and also touched on other topics....
 was considered a war crime and could be criminally prosecuted. Section 6 of the Military Commissions Act amended the War Crimes Act so that only actions specifically defined as "grave breaches" of Common Article 3 could be the basis for a prosecution, and it made that definition retroactive to November 26, 1997. The specific actions defined in section 6 of the Military Commissions Act include torture
Torture

Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is:In addition to state-sponsored torture, individuals or groups may be motivated to inflict torture on others for similar reasons to those of a state; however, the motive for torture can also be for the sadism gratification of the torturer, as was the case in the Moors M...
, cruel or inhumane treatment, murder
Murder

Murder as defined in common law countries, is the unlawful killing of another human being with intent , and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide....
, mutilation
Mutilation

Mutilation or maiming is an act or physical injury that degrades the appearance or function of the body, usually without causing death....
 or maiming, intentionally causing serious bodily harm, rape
Rape

Rape, also referred to as sexual assault, is an assault by a person involving sexual intercourse with or sexual penetration of another person without that person's consent....
, sexual assault
Sexual assault

Sexual assault is is an assault of a sexual nature on another person. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may be by a man on a man, woman on a man or woman on a woman....
 or abuse, and the taking of hostages
Hostage

A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war....
. According to Mariner of Human Rights Watch, the effect is "that perpetrators of several categories of what were war crimes at the time they were committed, can no longer be punished under U.S. law." The Center for Constitutional Rights adds:
The MCA’s restricted definitions arguably would exempt certain U.S. officials who have implemented or had command responsibility
Command responsibility

Command responsibility, sometimes referred to as the Yamashita standard or the Medina standard, is the doctrine of hierarchical accountability in cases of war crimes....
 for coercive interrogation techniques from war crimes prosecutions.
. . . .
This amendment is designed to protect U.S. government perpetrators of abuses during the "war on terror" from prosecution.


In 2005, a provision of the Detainee Treatment Act (section 1004(a)) had created a new defense
Defense (legal)

In civil proceedings and criminal prosecutions under the common law, a defendant may raise a defense in an attempt to avoid criminal or civil liability....
 as well as a provision to providing counsel
Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an Attorney at law, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice fraud." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain stability, and deliver justice....
 for agents involved in the detention and interrogation of individuals “believed to be engaged in or associated with international terrorist activity”. The 2006 MCA amended section 1004(a) of the Detainee Treatment Act to guarantee free counsel in the event of civil or criminal prosecution and applied the above mentioned legal defense to prosecutions for conduct that occurred during the period September 11, 2001 to December 30, 2005. Although the provision recognizes the possibility of civil and or criminal proceedings, the Center for Constitutional Rights has criticised this claiming that "The MCA retroactively immunizes some U.S. officials who have engaged in illegal actions which have been authorized by the Executive."

Other claims the MCA is a violation of human rights


Amnesty International
Amnesty International

Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated." Founded in London, England in 1961, AI draws its attention to human rights abuses and...
 said that the Act "contravenes human rights principles." and an editorial in The New York Times described the Act as "a tyrannical law that will be ranked with the low points in American democracy, our generation’s version of the Alien and Sedition Acts
Alien and Sedition Acts

The Alien and Sedition Acts were four bills passed in 1798. They were signed into law by President John Adams, and the Federalist Party in the United States Congress?who were waging an undeclared naval war with France, later known as the Quasi-War....
," while American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union

The American Civil Liberties Union consists of two separate non-profit organizations: the ACLU Foundation, a 501 organization which focuses on litigation and communication efforts, and the American Civil Liberties Union, a 501 organization which focuses on legislative lobbying....
 Executive Director Anthony D. Romero said, "The president can now, with the approval of Congress, indefinitely hold people without charge, take away protections against horrific abuse, put people on trial based on hearsay evidence, authorize trials that can sentence people to death based on testimony literally beaten out of witnesses, and slam shut the courthouse door for habeas petitions."

Jonathan Turley
Jonathan Turley

Jonathan Turley is a professor of law at The George Washington University Law School where he holds the Shapiro Chair for Public Interest Law. He frequently appears in the national media as a commentator on a multitude of subjects ranging from the U.S....
, professor of constitutional law at George Washington University
George Washington University

The George Washington University is a Private university, Mixed-sex education university located in Washington, D.C. The school was chartered on February 9, 1821 as The Columbian College in the District of Columbia by an Act of Congress and since that time has developed into a nonsectarian research institution....
, called the Military Commissions Act of 2006 "a huge sea change for our democracy. The framers created a system where we did not have to rely on the good graces or good mood of the president. In fact, Madison
James Madison

James Madison was an American politician and political philosopher who served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States , and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States....
 said that he created a system essentially to be run by devils, where they could not do harm, because we didn’t rely on their good motivations. Now we must."

Nat Hentoff opined in the Village Voice that
conditions of confinement and a total lack of the due process that the Supreme Court ordered in Rasul v. Bush
Rasul v. Bush

Rasul v. Bush, Case citation , is a landmark decision Supreme Court of the United States decision establishing that the U.S. court system has the authority to decide whether foreign nationals held in Guantanamo Bay detainment camp were wrongfully imprisoned....
 and Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld

Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, Case citation , is a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that Guantanamo military commissions set up by the George W....
make US government officials culpable for war crimes.

Application


Immediately after Bush signed the Act into law, the U.S. Justice Department notified the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that the Court no longer had jurisdiction over a combined habeas case that it had been considering since 2004. A notice dated the following day listed 196 other pending habeas cases for which it made the same claim.

First use


On November 13, 2006, the Department of Justice asserted in a motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit that, according to the Act, Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri
Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri

Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri is a citizen of Qatar who was arrested while studying at Bradley University in the United States.He is currently detained at the Naval Consolidated Brig, Charleston in South Carolina....
 should be tried in a military tribunal as an enemy combatant rather than in a civilian court. The document begins with:

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure and Local Rule 27(f), respondent-appellee Commander S.L. Wright respectfully moves this Court to remand this case to the district court with instructions to dismiss it for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Respondent-appellee has conferred with counsel for petitioner-appellant, and they agree with the briefing schedule proposed below. As explained below, the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (MCA), Pub. L. No. 109-366 (see Attachment 1), which took effect on October 17, 2006, removes federal court jurisdiction over pending and future habeas corpus actions and any other actions filed by or on behalf of detained aliens determined by the United States to be enemy combatants, such as petitioner-appellant al- Marri, except as provided in Section 1005(e)(2) and (e)(3) of the Detainee Treatment Act (DTA). In plain terms, the MCA removes this Court’s jurisdiction (as well as the district court’s) over al-Marri’s habeas action. Accordingly, the Court should dismiss this appeal for lack of jurisdiction and remand the case to the district court with instructions to dismiss the petition for lack of jurisdiction.


Initial prosecutions


Of the first three war crimes cases brought against Guantanamo Bay detainees under the MCA, one resulted in a plea bargain
Plea bargain

A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence....
 and the two others were dismissed on jurisdiction
Jurisdiction

In law, jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility....
al grounds.

The first person prosecuted under the MCA was David Matthew Hicks, an Australian. The outcome of his trial was prescribed by a pre-trial agreement negotiated between Hicks's defense counsel and the convening authority, Susan J Crawford on March 26, 2007. The agreement stipulated an effective sentence of nine months in exchange for his guilty plea and compliance with other conditions. On March 31, 2007, the tribunal handed down a seven year sentence, of which all but nine months was suspended, with the remainder to be served in Australia.

On June 4, 2007, in two separate cases, military tribunals dismissed charges against detainees who had been designated as "enemy combatants" but not as "unlawful enemy combatants". The first case was that of Omar Khadr
Omar Khadr

Omar Ahmed Khadr is the fourth child in the Canadian Khadr family. He was captured by American forces at the age of 15 following a four-hour firefight with militants in the village of Ayub Kheyl, Afghanistan....
, a Canadian who had been designated as an "enemy combatant" in 2004. Khadr was accused of throwing a grenade during a firefight in Afghanistan in 2002. Colonel
Colonel

Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country in the world. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures....
 Peter Brownback
Peter Brownback

Peter C. Brownback III is a retired military officer and lawyer.He was appointed to be a Presiding Officer on the Guantanamo military commissions, by retired General John D....
 ruled that the military tribunals, created to deal with "unlawful enemy combatants", had no jurisdiction over detainees who had been designated only as "enemy combatants". He dismissed without prejudice all charges against Khadr. Also on June 4, Captain Keith J. Allred
Keith J. Allred

Keith J. Allred is an United States lawyer and officer in the United States Navy....
 reached the same conclusion in the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan
Salim Ahmed Hamdan

Salim Ahmed Hamdan is a Yemeni, captured during the invasion of Afghanistan, and imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay detainment camp. He admits to being Osama bin Laden's personal driver and bodyguard, claiming he needed the $200 monthly salary that came with the job....
.

The United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Military of the United States....
 responded by stating: "We believe that Congress intended to grant jurisdiction under the Military Commissions Act to individuals, like Mr. Khadr, who are being held as enemy combatants under existing C.S.R.T. procedures." That position was called "dead wrong" by Specter.

Court challenge

On December 13, 2006, Salim Ahmed Hamdan
Salim Ahmed Hamdan

Salim Ahmed Hamdan is a Yemeni, captured during the invasion of Afghanistan, and imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay detainment camp. He admits to being Osama bin Laden's personal driver and bodyguard, claiming he needed the $200 monthly salary that came with the job....
 tried to challenge the MCA's declination of habeas corpus to "alien unlawful enemy combatants" in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
United States District Court for the District of Columbia

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia is the United States district court that hears cases originating in the District of Columbia , over which federal courts have original jurisdiction....
. Judge James Robertson
James Robertson (judge)

James Robertson is a judge for the United States District Court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. James Robertson was appointed a United States District Judge by President Bill Clinton in 1994....
, who ruled in favor of Hamdan in the Hamdan v. Rumsfeld case, refused to rule in favor of Hamdan in this case regarding habeas corpus, writing:
"The Constitution does not provide alien enemy combatants detained at Guantanamo Bay with the constitutional right to file a petition for habeas corpus
Habeas corpus

For the Living Things CD, see Habeas Corpus Habeas corpus is a legal action, or writ, through which a person can seek justice from the unlawful detention of him or herself, or of another person....
 in our civilian courts, and thus Congress may regulate those combatants' access to the courts".


In April 2007, the Supreme Court declined to hear two cases challenging the MCA: Boumediene v. Bush
Boumediene v. Bush

Boumediene v. Bush, Case citation , was a habeas corpus submission made in a civilian court of the United States on behalf of Lakhdar Boumediene, a naturalized citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina, held in military detention by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps....
 and Al Odah v. United States
Al Odah v. United States

Al Odah v. United States is a court case filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights and co-counsels challenging the legality of the continued detention, without charge, of Guantanamo Bay detention camp detainees....
 On June 29, 2007, the court reversed that decision, releasing an order that expressed their intent to hear the challenge. The two cases have been consolidated into one. Oral arguments were heard on December 5, 2007. The decision, striking down the Military Commissions Act, was handed down on June 12, 2008.

See also

  • Criminal Investigation Task Force
  • Amnesty law
    Amnesty law

    An amnesty law is any law that Ex post facto law exempts a select group of people, usually military leaders and government leaders, from criminal liability for crimes committed....
  • Extrajudicial prisoners of the United States
    Extrajudicial prisoners of the United States

    Extrajudicial prisoners of the United States, in the context of the War on Terrorism, refers to foreign nationals the United States detains outside of the legal process required within United States legal jurisdiction....
  • Ghost detainee
    Ghost detainee

    Ghost detainee is an official term used by the US George W. Bush administration to designate a person held in a detention center, whose identity has been hidden by keeping them unregistered and therefore anonymous....
  • War on Terrorism
    War on Terrorism

    The War on Terrorism or War on Terror are the common terms for the military, political, legal and ideological conflict against Islamic terrorism and Muslim militants, and specifically used in reference to operations by the United States, since the September 11 attacks....
  • Writ of habeas corpus
  • Military Police: Enemy Prisoners of War, Retained Personnel, Civilian Internees and Other Detainees
    Military Police: Enemy Prisoners of War, Retained Personnel, Civilian Internees and Other Detainees

    Military Police: Enemy Prisoners of War, Retained Personnel, Civilian Internees and Other Detainees is the full title of a United States Department of Defense document usually referred to as AR 190-8, that lays out how the United States military should treat captives....
  • Nacht und Nebel
    Nacht und Nebel

    Nacht und Nebel was a directive of Adolf Hitler on December 7, 1941 signed and implemented by Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Wilhelm Keitel, resulting in kidnapping and disappearance of many political activists and resistance 'helpers' throughout Nazism Germany's occupied territories....

External links


Government documents

  • , S.3930, September 22, 2006
  • Roll call votes:
  • , House version of the Bill, which was not enacted
  • , text of Bill, hosted at Georgetown Law
    Georgetown University Law Center

    Georgetown University Law Center is Georgetown University's law school, located in Washington, D.C. According to the 2009 edition of U.S. News & World Report, Georgetown Law is the #14 ranked law school in the nation overall, and is #1 in clinical programs, #4 in environmental law, #5 in trial advocacy, #8 in healthcare law, #4 in inter...
     website.
  • , H.R. 6054, Congressional Budget Office
    Congressional Budget Office

    The Congressional Budget Office is a List of United States federal agencies within the United States Congress of the United States government. It is a government agency that provides economic data to Congress....
    , as ordered reported by the United States House Committee on Armed Services
    United States House Committee on Armed Services

    The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives....
    , September 15, 2006
  • , United States House Committee on Armed Services
    United States House Committee on Armed Services

    The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives....
    , September 13, 2006, Chairman: Duncan Hunter
    Duncan Hunter

    Duncan Lee Hunter is an United States politician. He was a United States Republican Party member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 52nd congressional district from 1981 to 2009....


Media articles/press releases

  • , Washington Post, September 29, 2006; Page A01.
  • , PRNewswire, Source: White House Press Office, September 28, 2006
  • , By Craig Green, 2006


Commentary

  • , Keith Olbermann
    Keith Olbermann

    Keith Theodore Olbermann is an American news presenter, sportscaster, writer, and political commentator. He hosts Countdown with Keith Olbermann, an hour-long nightly news and commentary program on MSNBC....
    , October 19, 2006
  • , JURIST
    Jurist

    A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth of Nations countries it has only historical and specialist usage....
    , October 9, 2006
  • , Amnesty international
    Amnesty International

    Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated." Founded in London, England in 1961, AI draws its attention to human rights abuses and...
    , September 29, 2006
  • , JURIST
    Jurist

    A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth of Nations countries it has only historical and specialist usage....
    , September 27, 2006
  • , JURIST
    Jurist

    A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth of Nations countries it has only historical and specialist usage....
    , September 26, 2006
  • , JURIST
    Jurist

    A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth of Nations countries it has only historical and specialist usage....
    , September 25, 2006
  • , JURIST
    Jurist

    A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth of Nations countries it has only historical and specialist usage....
    , September 25, 2006
  • , Globalissues.org
  • - ARIwatch web site critical of the Military Commissions Act
  • , Benjamin Dunphy, The Pacifican
  • - Essay collection at the Center for a World in Balance