Military Commissions
It’s Time to Admit That the Military Commissions Have Failed
I’ve written elsewhere about the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C.
Latest in Case Coverage: Al Nashiri Case
I’ve written elsewhere about the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C.
On April 16, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit granted Guantanamo detainee and alleged USS Cole bomber Abd al-Rahim Hussein Muhammed al-Nashiri’s petition for a writ of mandamus and vacated all orders issued by former military judge Col. Vance Spath during a 28-month period on account of Spath’s failure to disqualify himself due to an apparent conflict of interest.
On Jan. 22, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard oral argument in In re: Abd Al-Rahim Hussein Al-Nashiri. Judges Judith Rogers, David Tatel and Thomas Griffith reviewed Abd Al Rahim Hussein Al-Nashiri’s (“Al-Nashiri”) request for a writ of mandamus and prohibition directing the vacatur of the orders convening the military commission which tried him.
The Court of Military Commission Review (CMCR) has ruled on former Military Judge Col. Vance Spath's decision to hold proceedings in the al-Nashiri military commissions case in abatement, reversing the judge's ruling and ordering pretrial hearings in al-Nashiri to begin again.
The military commission in United States v. Al-Nashiri reconvened in open session this past week before being abruptly abated on Feb. 16, as previously reported on Lawfare.
In a remarkable turn in United States v. al-Nashiri, military judge Col. Vance Spath suspended proceedings on Friday, Feb.
This past week, the military commission in United States v. al-Nashiri reconvened in open session for the first time since November, with open sessions on Jan. 19 and 22.
On Nov. 17, 2017, the military commission in United States v. al-Nashiri reconvened for the purpose of receiving testimony from Professor Ellen Yaroshefsky, an ethics advisor to defendant’s learned counsel Richard Kammen, who had previously resigned over undisclosed ethics concerns. The defendant, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, was present for the first time in multiple hearings.
The Office of Military Commissions Convening Authority (CA) upheld U.S. Air Force Colonel Judge Vance Spath's contempt finding against Brigadier General John Baker. However, the CA has exempted him from the imposed fine and the remainder of his confinement. In response to security concerns expressed by defense counsel in the underlying case, United States v.
On Friday, military judge Col. Vance Spath filed a memorandum of opposition to plaintiff Brig. Gen. John G. Baker’s petition for writ of habeas corpus. You can view the full document here: