Re: a dumb query? pls humor me
On 22 Mar, Celejar wrote:
> On Thu, 22 Mar 2007 10:59:35 -0400 (EDT)
> judd@wadsworth.org wrote:
>
>> > ...
>>
>> I was referring to the interpretation of the this part of the
>> third convention, itself, which is of course binding on the US:
>>
>> "Should any doubt arise as to whether persons, having committed a
>> belligerent act and having fallen into the hands of the enemy,"
>> belong to any of the categories for POWs, "such persons shall enjoy
>> the protection of the present Convention until such time as their
>> status has been determined by a competent tribunal."
>
> I understand, but the question is whether the 'international law
> interpretation' of 'competent tribunal' as 'a body of the judicial
> branch' is something to which the US is bound. Incidentally, my
> 'violently' was a poor choice of words; I meant 'vehemently'.
>
> Celejar
>
>
The convention itself merely states "competent tribunal", without
any further expansion. I have heard some lawyers state, in radio
interviews, that there are other instruments of international law
(presumably that the US is a party to) which address this issue and
state that it cannot be a part of the executive branch. I am certainly
not an expert on this issue, but took them at their word.
At any rate, we'll probably see some US court rulings addressing
this in the near future.
-Chris
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| Christopher Judd, Ph. D. judd@wadsworth.org |
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