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Full Version: What Authority Does the ICJ Have?
America's Debate > Archive > Assorted Issues Archive > [A] Big Trials and Legal Cases
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lee
Apr 1 2004, 02:16 AM
The ICJ recently ordered the US to retry foreign citizens who were not given counsel from their native lands. The case specifically involves 55 Mexican nationals on death row. The 15 panel court, the highest in the UN, ordered the US to look into the cases once again. The states in question contacted the State Department, but seemed as though they would basically ignore the verdict. Story

How should the states in question respond? Murder is a state offense, not federal. What are your opinions?
I believe the states have the right to do whatever they want. The ICJ is commonly ignored by the US.
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Victoria Silverwolf
Apr 6 2004, 03:58 AM
Well, let's flip it around. Would we want American citizens in a foreign nation to be tried by the courts in that nation without the possibility of any aid from the United States Government? I think not. Nor should we expect the citizens of other nations to do without such aid from their governments.

This is not new, by the way:

QUOTE
It was the second time the highest U.N. court has ruled the United States broke the 1963 Vienna Convention, which protects foreigners accused of serious crimes. In 2001, Arizona ignored a court order to stay the execution of a German citizen.


Even the Federal government agrees:

QUOTE
U.S. officials will study the decision carefully, said State Department spokesman Adam Ereli, adding that the United States has tried to comply with the requirement that consular access be granted to Mexican and other citizens detained on U.S. soil.


I suspect the states will laugh at the International Court of Justice, to my shame.
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