Supreme Court Blocks Trials at Guantánamo

Protesters throughout the world have vehemently opposed the US indefinitely holding suspected terrorists in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba – and the US Supreme Court has lent some support to that argument. The court ruled against the US use of military tribunals to try detainees held in the Guantánamo prison, and in so doing, finally delivered the Bush administration from a legal limbo. In a 5-3 ruling, the court decided that the military tribunals created by the Bush administration, “violate both American military law and the Geneva Convention.” Proponents argue that the ruling affirms the US commitment to the rule of law, while critics fret about loss of a tool in the war on terror. The decision in the case of Hamdan v. Rumsfeld does not impact the administration’s authority to detain individuals at the prison, though many observers anticipate eventual closure of the facility. About 450 individuals are now held at Guantánamo, some since 2001. – YaleGlobal