Panel to Detail Strength of Current Habeas Rights as Congress Grapples With Detention Issues

Washington, DC As Congress continues to wrangle over tough questions related to detention policy, terrorism trials and national security, a panel of legal experts will urge elected officials to forego new legislation to guide federal courts in their review of habeas cases filed by Guantanamo detainees. In an upcoming Capitol Hill luncheon briefing, former federal judge Timothy Lewis and Guantanamo detainee defense attorney Douglas K. Spaulding will examine how the courts have been successful in developing an effective jurisprudence in habeas cases that addresses the government’s interest in national security while protecting the right of prisoners to fairly challenge their detention.

The briefing’s discussion will be largely based on a new report, Habeas Works: Federal Courts’ Proven Capacity to Handle Guant