In association with the International Commission of Jurists

Author: Kevin Jon Heller

21 Aug

As an interesting side note to the debate on counterrorism techniques, the American Psychological Association (APA) rejected a proposal on Sunday that would have prohibited psychologists from assisting interrogations at Guantanamo Bay and other military detention centers:Instead, the group approved a resolution that reaffirmed the association's opposition to torture and restricted members from taking part in interrogations that involved...

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20 Aug

Vermeule and I agree one one point: "A crucial issue in this conversation is that of presidential motivation." There, however, I think the agreement ends. Vermeule's third sentence is an adequate starting point: "Yes, the executive’s capacities may be impressive, but its motivations are suspect (the suggestion often runs)." True as the second half of the argument...

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20 Aug

Well, at least they're honest. Posner and Vermeule admit that the massive expansion of executive power that has taken place under the Bush administration is no anomaly, no temporary response to the horrors of 9/11. On the contrary, they insist that by demonstrating that "the public is more vulnerable to a devastating terrorist attack today than it has...

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18 Aug

Here's a story you don't see everyday — a Colombian drug kingpin who wants to be extradited to the U.S.:The lawyer of a reputed leader of Colombia's biggest drug cartel said Tuesday he will travel to Washington to discuss ways to speed up his client's extradition to the United States. Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia, 44, who faces three U.S. federal indictments...

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14 Aug

I have posted a new essay on SSRN, entitled "What Happens to the Acquitted?" Here is the abstract:According to the ICTR, Emmanuel Bagambiki is an innocent man. The Trial Chamber and the Appeals chamber have each unanimously acquitted the former Prefect of Cyangugu of crimes relating to Rwanda's horrific 1994 genocide. And on July 19, Bagambiki was reunited with...

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12 Aug

Okay, New Zealand isn't perfect. The proof: Hell Pizza, one of the country's most successful pizza chains. The company has cornered the market in offensive advertising, with the Advertising Standards Complaints Board recently upholding complaints against the following billboard — which even I find beyond the pale: But you haven't seen anything yet. The company's most recent billboard...

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11 Aug

Fresh from the first two decisions by the Special Court, Sierra Leone faces a critical political test today — its first elections since UN peacekeepers left the country 20 months ago:Long lines were visible at most polling stations in the capital, where voters queued up with umbrellas under drizzling rain, in some cases hours before voting booths opened. Vice President Solomon...

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06 Aug

I expect very little from the media in terms of legal accuracy, particularly concerning the ICC. But this article — reproduced in one form or another in dozens of newspapers — is still a doozy:The International Criminal Court may try former Namibian president Sam Nujoma and three others in connection with the disappearance of hundreds of people. A local newspaper...

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04 Aug

"Justice delayed," William Gladstone once said," is justice denied." True enough, but there is a competing adage: "better late than never." The latter clearly applies to the tragic story of an Australian aborigine who was awarded more than $400,000 last week for being stolen from his family as a child:"The best thing is knowing they never forgot me,...

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30 Jul

Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems has just released a symposium issue on "National Security: Detention, War Powers, and Anti-Proliferation" edited by my friend at Iowa, Tung Yin. The issue includes articles by our blogging colleagues Diane Amann, Steven Vladeck, and Tung himself, all of which are worth checking out. I also want to call attention to the article...

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30 Jul

Grist, a website dedicated to environmental news and commentary, has released its list of the world's 15 greenest cities. Despite the unconscionable omission of Auckland, I present them here:1. Reyjavik, Iceland 2. Portland, Oregon 3. Curitiba, Brazil 4. Malmo, Sweden 5. Vancouver, Canada 6. Copenhagen, Denmark 7. London, England 8. San Francisco, California 9. Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador 10....

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