U.S. and International Law in the War on Terror

Event Details

The John Bassett Moore Society of International Law at the University of Virginia Law School and the Miller Center of Public Affairs opened their 2007 symposium with two presentations in the Miller Center's Forum Room.

The Bush Administration’s legal response to the threat of terrorism has been characterized by a persistent attempt to expand the scope of executive authority, often at the expense of obligations under international law. With the Hamdan ruling, the Democratic Party victory in the midterm elections, and the re-establishment of judicial oversight over domestic wiretapping program, this expansion appears to have slowed. Panelists explored the contours of executive power in the war on terror, as well as the attempt made in the Military Commission Act of 2006 to reassert executive authority over international law. Additionally, this panel considered charges that this attempt reflects an effort on the part of the Bush Administration to undermine international law.