The writ of habeous corpus is one of the oldest rights in western civilization, dating back to medeval England. Roughly, it means that the government must show to a judge why someone is being held in jail. If the government cannot show a reasonable amount of evidence, then the person is freed.
The Supreme Court in a split decision (5-4) ruled that the prisioners at Guantanamo are entitled to habeous corpus hearings.
Most of these inmates have been jailed for years without any trial; it's high time that the government prove its case or to release the individuals.
Friday, June 20, 2008
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