Questioning the Jurisdictional Moorings of the Military Commission Act

10 Pages Posted: 28 Aug 2007 Last revised: 20 Feb 2008

See all articles by Geoffrey S. Corn

Geoffrey S. Corn

Texas Tech University School of Law

Abstract

Of the many controversial legal questions generated by the passage of the Military Commission Act of 2006, perhaps the most fundamental is that of jurisdiction. This question has lingered beneath the surface of the legitimacy of the use of these tribunals to try alleged al Qaeda operatives since they were first created by President Bush. Unfortunately - or for advocates of the use of these tribunals perhaps fortunately - the seminal challenge to the validity of the Military Commission, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, was resolved in favor of the Petitioner without reaching this underlying question. However, the rapid response by Congress to provide a statutory foundation for resurrecting this means to try detainees associated with the Global War on Terror once again raises this difficult but critical question related to the legitimacy of such trials. This Essay will briefly address why this author believes the scope of jurisdiction established by the MCA exceeds the bounds of legitimate use of such tribunals.

Keywords: Military Commissions, Military Tribunals, UCMJ, Detainees, Military Commission Act, Law of War, Law of Armed Conflict, Terrorism, International Law

JEL Classification: K33, K10, K40, K41

Suggested Citation

Corn, Geoffrey S., Questioning the Jurisdictional Moorings of the Military Commission Act. Texas International Law Journal, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1009609

Geoffrey S. Corn (Contact Author)

Texas Tech University School of Law ( email )

3311 18th Street
School of Law
Lubbock, TX 79409
United States
8322442204 (Phone)

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