Texas Execution Plan Defies Hague Order

The International Court of Justice, as the principal legal body of the United Nations, is expected to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by member states. But the state of Texas in the US insists the court does not have jurisdiction over the case of José Medellín, charged with the 1993 brutal rape and murder of two teenagers and since convicted and scheduled for the death penalty. The court ruled in 2004 that the United States should not execute Mexican nationals who maintain they were refused consular access after their arrest, a right protected by international treaty. US President George Bush, a former Texas governor, and legal experts have urged Texas to abide by the international order, and US Congress is considering a bill that would compel states “to comply with international treaties guaranteeing foreign nationals on trial the right to consult with officials from their home countries,” reports Suzanne Goldenberg for the Guardian. Texas defiance could complicate international justice for US citizens living abroad. – YaleGlobal