US court decision over Hicks 'astounding': Aust
lawyer
The lawyer representing alleged Australian Taliban fighter
David Hicks says an appeal will be lodged with the United States Supreme
Court in another bid to have him released from military custody in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
It follows the overnight decision by three judges that the court had no
jurisdiction over the case for Mr Hicks or the other Australian in
custody, Mamdouh Habib.
The judges ruled the military base was not part of US territory and
therefore the court could not provide foreigners outside the US with any
legal redress.
Adelaide-based lawyer representing the Hicks family, Stephen Kenny, says
he is astounded at the decision.
"We find it unbelievable that a US court will say that the United
States military is simply beyond their jurisdiction," Mr Kenny
said.
"It essentially says that no matter what the US military do to
foreigners, the US courts will not interfere and I find that
astounding.
"We will now appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, which
is the last court of appeal.
"We hope to have an appeal lodged in the next couple of months. It
takes some time in the US but it will mean we probably won't get a
hearing until late this year."
http://abc.net.au/news/justin/nat/newsnat-12mar2003-35.htm
