Brigadier General Mark Martins discusses the Military Commissions Act of 2009
A Conversation with the Chief Prosecutor of the U.S. Military Commissions
Brigadier General Mark Martins has served as the chief U.S. prosecutor in cases alleging violations of the law of war and lead trial counsel in the prosecution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and four other accused perpetrators of the attacks of September 11, 2001. In his talk, General Martins will outline major provisions of the Military Commissions Act of 2009--which reformed a system much criticized when established in 2001 by presidential order--and will address the due process protections, constitutional authority, established sources of law, narrowness of jurisdiction, oversight by United States federal civilian courts, compliance with international legal obligations, public trial requirements, and transparency measures that characterize the reformed military commissions. He will also address continuing challenges to the reformed system's legitimacy, suggest what will be necessary to surmount perceptions of "victor's justice," and offer thoughts on the future of efforts to hold al Qaeda and associated forces accountable under law.
General Martins' experience includes heading the Rule of Law Field Force in Afghanistan, supporting Afghan and coalition efforts to build justice institutions.
The Chatham House Rule will be in effect during the question and answer period. Participants will thus be free to use the information received during the Q&A period, but should reveal neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker nor that of any other participant in the discussion.
General Martins' talk is sponsored by the International Legal Studies Program and the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law.
| Date/Time | Location |
|---|---|
| Date: Mar 12, 2013 Time: 04:00 PM to 05:00 PM Cost: Details: | Flynn Auditorium |