An Oasis

Guantanamo Bay Amicus Curiae

Hmmm, Interesting times inspire interesting actions. Apparently UK MPs and peers are submitting a brief to the US Supreme Court in support of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The Amicus Curiae brief is the first ever to be filed by UK parliamentarians to the US court, and challenges the position of the U.S. Government over the status of detainees under U.S. Law. Signed by Clare Short, Robin Cook and Chris Smith, leading opponents of the recent War, the brief will make interesting reading.

The MPs and peers argue generally on behalf of the 650 detainees from 42 countries that under the US constitution, which derived from the English bill of rights, the executive is fully accountable for its actions to the courts.

On behalf of the nine British detainees, they say some were innocently caught up in the Afghan conflict, and a majority were seized in foreign countries - in some cases far from the conflict - in circumstances that cast doubt on the legitimacy of their detention.

Posted by Paul at January 12, 2004 03:38 AM |