2005 Archives | Page 9 of 26 | International Commission of Jurists

Australia: New detention powers in anti-terrorism bill

Nov 8, 2005

In September, Prime Minister John Howard introduced in Parliament a bill to further amend Australia’s counter-terrorism laws. The draft law would permit terrorist suspects to be subjected to control orders for up to 12 months and to be held in preventive detention for...

Peru: Terrorism re-trial of Shining Path leader opens

Nov 8, 2005

The second re-trial on terrorism charges of leaders of the Peruvian guerrilla group Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) opened in Lima on 26 September. In 2003, the Constitutional Tribunal ordered Abimael Guzmán, founder and leader of the guerrilla group, to be retried...

Canada: UN experts criticize terrorism laws

Nov 8, 2005

The UN Human Rights Committee has expressed concern about Canada’s counter-terrorism laws and policies, in particular the broad definition of terrorism, a law preventing disclosure of certain security evidence, and the unlimited length of administrative detention of...

USA: Appeal Court rules terror suspects can be held indefinitely without charge

Nov 8, 2005

On 10 September, a US Court of Appeals reversed the decision of a lower court in the case of José Padilla, a US citizen held in indefinite detention since 2002. The Court held that Congress clearly authorized President Bush to order such suspects to be detained by the...

USA: Senate votes to strip Guantánamo detainees of right to habeas corpus

Nov 8, 2005

On 15 November, the US Senate passed Senator Graham’s amendment to a Defence Bill, removing the right to habeas corpus from Guantánamo Bay detainees. Under the law, which has to be approved by the House of Representatives, the detainees would only be able to challenge...