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THIS HOUSE WOULD DETAIN TERROR SUSPECTS WITHOUT TRIAL CURATOR
FionaDeLondras
Internmentcanbedefinedastheindefinitedetentionofapersonbyagovernment,andthedenialofthe
Dr.FionadeLondrasisa
normallegalprocessesthatwouldusuallybeavailabletothem,suchastherighttoknowthechargesand
evidenceagainstthem,therighttoapublictrial,therighttoappealtoahigherjudicialauthority,etc.Thisis lecturerinUCDSchoolof
usuallyjustifiedasnecessaryinaperiodofnationalemergency,suchasawarorduringaterroristcampaign, Lawandinternationally
inordertoensurethatdangerousindividualsarenotleftfreetothreatensociety.Typically,individualsare recognisedspecialistincounter
detainedbecauseofintelligenceobtainedbythesecurityservices.Becausethistopicassumesthatinternees terrorismandhumanrights.She
aredeniedrightswhichwouldnormallybeavailable,itessentiallyappliestodemocraticcountrieswherethe publisheswidelyon...
governmentissubjecttotheruleoflaw.Thedebateraisesissuesofcivillibertiesandsecurity,aswellasof more
therelationshipbetweentheexecutiveandjudicialbranchesofgovernment.

Differentgovernmentshaveassumedpowerstointernthosetheyfearedsincethebeginningsofmodern
democracy,andthesewerewidelyusedinbothWorldWars.Inparticular,BritaindetainedthoseofGerman
background(includingJewishrefugeesfromHitler)aswellasthosewithknownfascistsympathies(suchas BE A DEBATABASE EDITOR
OswaldMosley),whiletheUSAinternedover110000JapaneseAmericans(Nisei)duringtheSecondWorld
War.Morerecently,in1971theBritishgovernmentusedinternmentofhundredsofrepublicansuspectsinan
attempttoshutdowntheIRA(abandoningitfouryearslaterafterseveralmodificationstothesystem). Idebateneedseditorsfromaround
theworldtocheck,moderateand
Today,ofcourse,thedebatefocusesupontheresponseofgovernmentstothewaronterror,andinparticular createcontentfordebatabaseand
totheactionsoftheUSAandUKinhandlingterrorsuspects.TheUKhaspreviouslyderogated(meaningthey
thesitemoregenerally.Editorsare
coulddomoretolimitdetentionthanusualbutnotwhatevertheywant)fromArticle5oftheEuropean
vitalinmakingthesiterun
ConventiononHumanRights,whichbansdetentionwithouttrial,inordertoholdasmallnumberofforeign
nationalsseenasathreattonationalsecurity.Thispracticehassincebeenstoppedandthereisnogeneral smoothlyandensuringthat
Article5derogationcurrently.TheUSAalsodetainednoncitizenswithouttrialinthemonthsfollowingthe debatesareasinformativeas
attacksofSeptember112001,secretlyarrestingandholdingover750foreignnationals(mostofwhomhave possible.
subsequentlybeendeported)1.FollowingthestartofthecampaignagainstAlQaedaandtheTalibanin
Findoutmore
Afghanistan,some600fightersofvariousnationalitieswereclassedasenemycombatants(ratherthan
prisonersofwar,whoshouldbereleasedwhenhostilitieshaveended)andtakentoGuantanamoBay,where
hundredsstillremain2.ThesignificanceofGuantanamoBayisthatitisaUSnavalbaseinCuba,permanently
leasedfromthatcountrybutnotlegallypartoftheUSA.Thismeansthatthedetaineescouldbeheldunder
militaryauthoritywithoutappealtotheAmericanlegalsystem.Thereisnowhoweveraconstitutionalrightto
habeuscorpusforthosedetainedinthefacility3/4/5.
AUTHOR
1Sachs,S.(2002,July11).TracesofTerror:TheDetainees.RetrievedMay12,2011,fromtheNewYork MarkDellora

Times:2Lithwick,D.(2009,January22).BadMen.RetrievedMay12,2011,fromSlate:3deLondras,F.
(2008)'WhatHumanRightsLawCouldDo:LamentingtheLackofanInternationalHumanRightsLaw
ApproachinBoumedieneandAlOdah'.IsraelLawReview,41(3):562594deLondras.F.(2008)'Guantanamo Like 0 Share
Tweet
Bay:TowardsLegality?'ModernLawReview,71(1):36585deLondras.F.(2011),'CanCounterTerrorist Share
InternmentEverBeLegitimate?'HumanRightsQuarterly33(3):593619(makesoutanargumentfor
Like
theoreticallylegitimateinternment)

Showless
discussthis

RELATED DEBATES
POINTS FOR POINTS AGAINST Thatallstatesshould
immediatelyratifytheU.N.
ConventionontheRightsof
Internmentwithouttrialencouragesthebadbehaviourofotherstates.
MigrantWorkersandtheir
Families.

POINT COUNTERPOINT Thishousewouldrecognise

Compromisingourusualhighstandardsof
humanrightsencouragesbadbehaviourby
othercountries.Governmentswithless
concernforrightsarereassuredbythe
apparentfailureofliberaldemocracyto
addressaterroristthreat,andfeeljustifiedin
tighteninguptheirownmeasuresagainst
individualsandgroupsperceivedasathreat.
theInternationalCriminal
Internmentwithouttrialdoesnotjustifythe Court
badbehaviourofotherstates,foritis
justifiableundernormsofinternationallaw.For
Thishousewouldabolishplea
example,themeasurestakenbytheUK
bargaining
governmenttodetainforeignnationals
identifiedbyintelligenceasaseriousthreatto
Britainarejustifiedbyconflictingpriorities.In ThisHouseBelievesthe
normalcircumstancessuchpeoplewouldbe InternationalCriminalCourtis

http://www.nl.idebate.org/debatabase/debates/extraordinary-rendition/house-would-detain-terror-suspects-without-trial 1/5
2/4/2017
Westerngovernments,meanwhile,losetheir
moralabilitytocriticiseabuseselsewhere.
Overall,thecauseoffreedomsuffers
everywhere.Thiscanbeseenclearlyinthe
actionsofgovernmentsaroundtheworld
sinceSeptember112001,whereexisting
repressivemeasureshavebeenjustifiedin
newwaysaspartofthewaronterror,ornew
onesintroducedinapparentresponsetoit.
India,forexample,hasbeenusingrepressive
measuresinKashmirfortwentyyears,
howeveritstillexploitedthewaronterrorasa
pretextforinternationalsupportforitslatest
crackdowns1.
1.Shingavi,S.(2010,July14).India'snew
crackdowninKashmir.RetrievedJuly14,
2011,fromCETRI:
improvethis
Internmentwithouttrialexacerbatestheantagonismofenemiesand
subsequentrisktocivilians.
POINT
Tointernwithouttrial,forprolongedperiods,
thebelievedenemiesofastateistooffer
themandtheirsupportersaddedreasontobe
antagonistic.InNorthernIreland,violence
soaredfollowingtheintroductionof
internmentandtheBritishgovernment
imposeddirectrule1.Moreover,
GuantanamoBay,thecentralsymbolofthe
growthofexecutivepowerinUnitedStates
waronterror,hasbeendescribedbyDennis
Blair,DirectorofNationalIntelligence,asa
rallyingcryforterroristrecruitmentand
harmfultoournationalsecurity2.Armando
Spataro,aseniorItalianprosecutor,has
remarkedMuslimsaroundtheworldare
askingwhythereissolittleinternational
oppositiontotheU.S.policyofinternment
withouttrial.Thecollateraldamageof
Guantanamoisincalculable3.Itappears
difficulttoarguethattheextensionof
executivepowerinthewaronterrorhashad
anyeffectonthesecurityofinnocentcivilians
otherthanincreasingtheirriskofharm.
1Davis,F.(2004,August)InternmentWithout
Trial:TheLessonsfromtheUnitedStates,
NorthernIrelandandIsrael.RetrievedJune
23,2011from:
2Rhee,F.(2009,January22).Obamaorders
GuantanamoBayclosed,banstorture.
RetrievedMay12,2011,fromBoston:
3Greening,K.J.(2007,February12).8
ReasonstoCloseGuantanamoNow.Retrieved
May12,2011,fromInTheseTimes:
improvethis
Thewaronterrorisnotanarmedconflict,andthereforeinternmentwithout
trialisillegal.
http://www.nl.idebate.org/debatabase/debates/extraordinary-rendition/house-would-detain-terror-suspects-without-trial
This House would detain terror suspects without trial | idebate.org
deportedtotheirhomecountries,butasylum aforceforgood.
rulespreventtheforceddeportationofpeople
tocountrieswhichmightpersecutethem.
Thishousebelievesthatthe
ThosedetainedintheUKareinfactfreeto
UnitedStatesshouldbe
leaveiftheycanfindacountrytotakethem1. isolationist
Thosewhocannotareineffectchoosingto
remainindetentionhere.Ratherthan
Thishousewouldraisethe
removingcompletelythegovernment'spower
legaldrivingageto18
todeportforeignnationalswhoposeathreat,
thisisthebestsolutionfromahumanrights
pointofview. Thishousebelievesstatesare
justifiedinwagingwarin
1Kelly,D.(2010,February20).UKBorder responsetoterroristacts
Agencyresponseon'migrantdetainees'.
RetrievedMay12,2011fromImmigration
Matters
improvethis DISCUSSIONS
THregretsthe
commercializationofsports
ShouldParentingClassesbe
compulsory...
DEBATE..SHOULD
COUNTERPOINT PARENTINGCLASSESBE
COMPULSORY?
Theperiodofinternment,howeverlong,does
notservetoexacerbateantagonismsinherent
inadversaries.Ifanything,theperiodof
reflectionactsasapunitivemeasuredesigned startadiscussion
toforcethesuspecttoweighuphischoices
andpotentiallydisavowhisbeliefs.Ifinnocent,
theymaydevelopantagonismstowardstheir
captors,butthatdoesnotautomaticallyplace
theminthethroesoftheirsuspected RELATED TAGS:
associates.Furthermore,evenifthisweretrue,
theantagonismheldtowardstheircaptors ExtraordinaryrenditionGeneva
wouldnotbepermittedtoleadtofurther ConventionsguantanamoHuman
violencefortheywouldbeinterneduntilthe rightsInternmentterrorismLaw
conclusionofthewar. GeneralHumanrightsInternational
lawTerrorismLaw
improvethis
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2/4/2017
POINT
Thewaronterrorisnotlikepast,conventional
conflicts,andthegovernmentshouldnotbe
abletotakewartimepowerssimplyonitsown
declaration.TheterroristattacksofSeptember
112001werehorrific,buttheydidnot
threatentheentirelifeoftheAmericannation
theeconomyhasreboundedsurprisingly
quicklyandnoonebelievesthatevena
successfulattackontheWhiteHouseor
CongresswouldhaveendedAmerican
democracy.Separatefromwarfaretherefore,
intermentwithouttrialisclearlyillegalasthe
InternationalCovenantonCivilandPolitical
Rightsstates,everyonehastherighttoliberty
andsecurityoftheperson.Nooneshallbe
subjectedtoarbitraryarrestordetention1.If
itcanbeagreeduponthathumanrightsare
universal,internmentwithouttrialoutsideof
theprotocolsonwarfareisillegal.
Furthermore,thewaronterrorisnotwinnable
thereisnolikelyendpointatwhichwewill
beabletodeclareanenemytohavebeen
defeatedandsoallowdetained"enemy
combatants"togohomesotheseharshbut
supposedlytemporarywartimemeasureswill
becomethenorm.
1.Davis,2004.p4
improvethis
Internmentwithouttrialfailstomakesocietysafer.
Internmentwithouttrialunderminesdemocraticvalues.
POINT
Rightsareneededtoprotectthefewaswell
asthemany,otherwisetherewouldbeno
needfortheminademocracy.Indefinite
detentionandlackofanormalpublictrial
underminethekeyvaluesofhabeascorpus
andthepresumptionofinnocence.TheFifth
AmendmentoftheU.S.Constitutionenshrines
theprinciplethatnopersonshallbedeprived
ofhislibertywithoutdueprocess1.Assuch,
suspectsshouldbetriedifthereisevidence,
deportediftheyareforeignnationals,but
mostimportantlyreleasedifapropercase
cannotbemadeagainstthem.Internmentin
NorthernIrelandwasalsosaidtobeaimed
onlyatatinyminority,butthousandspassed
throughtheLongKeshdetentioncampinthe
fouryearsitoperated.Similarly,the
internmentofJapaneseAmericansfrom1942
onwardsledtoabeliefinthepostwar
environmentthattheywereradically
predisposedtoactsofdisloyalty1undermining
thedemocraticvaluesofinclusionandmulti
culturalismthattheUSparticularlylikesto
attributetoitself.
1Davis,F.(2004,August)InternmentWithout
Trial:TheLessonsfromtheUnitedStates,
NorthernIrelandandIsrael.RetrievedJune
23,2011
http://www.nl.idebate.org/debatabase/debates/extraordinary-rendition/house-would-detain-terror-suspects-without-trial
This House would detain terror suspects without trial | idebate.org
COUNTERPOINT
Thewaronterrorisnotlikepast,conventional
conflictsbutthatdoesnotpreventits
classificationasanarmedconflictsoldiersare
stilldyinginfirefights,territoryisstillbeing
foughtoverandthethreattohomeland
securityisveryrealandvisceral.Accordingto
theBushadministration,thewaronterror
representsanewparadigmofwar,whereby
theciviliansdirectlyengagedinhostilities,
enemycombatants,arenotpermittedtoenjoy
theprivilegesofinternationalhumanitarianlaw.
Prisonerofwarstatusisreserved(for)
membersofthearmedforcesofapartytoan
internationalarmedconflictwhomust
distinguishthemselvesfromthecivilian
populationinordertobeentitledtoPOW
statusuponcapture1.RegardingtheICCPR,it
hasaspecificderogationclausethatstatesin
timesofpublicemergency,thestatesmay
excusethemselvesfromthestrictprovisionsof
thecovenant.Thiswould,inthecontextof
threatstothesafetyofcivilians,permitstates
tointernwithouttrialenemycombatants.
1.InternationalCommitteeofRedCross,2005
improvethis
COUNTERPOINT
Internmentwithouttrialdoesnotundermine
eitherdemocracyoritsvalues.Toughmeasures
areaimedonlyatveryfewsuspectsonly11
arecurrentlydetainedinBritain,onlyafew
hundredatGuantanamoBay.Exceptional
circumstancescallforspecialmeasures,but
thesearesolimitedinscopethattheydonot
threatenourdemocraticvalues.Similarly,until
thecessationofhostilities,thesuspensionof
habeuscorpusforenemycombatantsisnot
unliketheholdingofprisonersofwaruntilan
armistice,wherebyitisnotlegallynecessaryto
providerecoursetojudicialprocess.AsDick
Cheneynotes,inpreviouswarswevealways
exercisedtherighttocapturetheenemyand
thenholdthemuntiltheendoftheconflict.
Thesameprincipleoughttoapplyhere1.
1.Trott,B.(2008,December15).Don'tClose
Guantanamountilterrorwarends:Cheney.
RetrievedMay12,2011,fromReuters:
improvethis
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