


The key issue, Chemerinsky said, "is there’s nothing in the Military Commissions Act that requires that a military proceeding be convened. The government can hold all of these people for the rest of their lives without ever bringing them before a military tribunal. Then the have no ability ever to go before a federal court." And no matter how long they are held, they can’t come to federal court with a writ of habeas corpus.

The Constitution says the right of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, "except in cases of rebellion or invasion." "I don’t think there’s a rebellion or an invasion," Chemerinsky said, "and I don’t think it matters whether a person is a citizen or noncitizen. The government can’t keep a person locked up forever without due process."


"He’s assuming they ARE terrorists," Chemerinsky replied. "The whole point is that we don’t know. My client has been in Guantanamo for more than five years, and I still have no idea why he’s there. Maybe he’s a dangerous person, or maybe he’s there because the US paid a warlord who picked him out because they wanted to get the bounty. The only way we can know if somebody is a terrorist or a criminal is to have due process of law."


Chemerinsky replied, "Here I say let’s trust the Constitution. The Constitution expresses a great distrust of executive power. The Constitution is clear that nobody should be able to be held just on the say-so of the executive, without due process."


"Not for years to come," Chemerinsky replied. "Then what will happen is that we’ll go back to federal district court, where they can present their habeas petitions. Then the issue is going to be what does due process and international law require for these detainees. And my guess is that’s going to be fought over for a long time, then appealed to the DC Circuit, then it will go to the Supreme Court.


John McCain recently commented, "it’s not about who they are, it’s about who we are." Chemerinsky agreed: "That about sums it up," he said.