Law School Dean Calls Conference to Plan Bush War Crimes Prosecution

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http://abajournal.com/news/law_school_dean_calls_conference_to_plan_bush_war_crimes_prosecution/


The dean of Massachusetts School of Law at Andover is planning a September conference to map out war crimes prosecutions, and the targets are President Bush and other administration officials.

The dean, Lawrence Velvel, says in a statement that “plans will be laid and necessary organizational structures set up, to pursue the guilty as long as necessary and, if need be, to the ends of the Earth."

Other possible defendants, he said, include federal judges and John Yoo, the former Justice Department official who wrote one of the so-called torture memos.

“We must insist on appropriate punishments,” he continued, “including, if guilt is found, the hangings visited upon top German and Japanese war criminals in the 1940s."
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more power to the Dean

[DangerDave921]

1. Um. . .

Does this really fall within his duties as a dean of a law school?

[MountainLaurel]

2. Law schools host topical conferences all the time

So, yeah, I'd say this falls within his purview.

[DangerDave921]

3. Goes beyond

From reading the article, it seemed to beyond the simple hosting of a conference to actual planning such a prosecution. I would think such a planning and strategy conference would be considered personal goals versus his work as a law school dean.

[indepat]

4. It falls within the solemn duty of the House of Representatives to impeach a president for

high crimes upon majority vote and the Senate to convict upon a two-thirds vote. Since Madame Speaker has failed in her constitutional mandate to let impeachment charges be brought and voted upon, this grim task sadly falls upon others. Let the games begin in earnest. :D

[librechik]

5. yes. It's time for the legal scholars to study how to do this

since we haven't ever done such a thing. A conference with academics on the issue is certainly within the dean's purview.

It seems like a highly possible (if not probable) outcome of the administration's actions that there will be a demand for prosecution. If we don't want to all be liable and in the dock, it would behoove us to start acting like we know they are criminals, and we are in favor of holding them accountable.

Thank you, Dean Velvel, for beginning this important process.

[DangerDave921]

6. academic exercise

I think it's an interesting topic and we should learn the rules for how to do it. But in this case, it is purely academic. This late in the game, there is virtually no way that Bush or any in his admin will be charged with war crimes. It's even hard for me to understand why some folks get so worked up over this like it's a real possibility.

Even the primary candidates running for the Dems didn't bring it up. Almost no elected Dem official will even bring it up. So how exactly is it going to happen?

There is a time for visceral reaction and time for rational thought.

[librechik]

8. Yes--an academic exercise, which, for a Law School Dean, is appropriate.

I don't understand what your objection to it is. Are you one of those people that think we should never discuss it because it's just not ever going to happen?

Because believe me, if we somebody somewhere doesn't start discussing it, it certainly won't. But if we do start discussing it, something might happen, IMO.

[DangerDave921]

9. 2-part answer

1. My initial reaction was surprise that a law school dean would be working toward a war crimes prosecution. I always feel that our educators should stick to their job, i.e., educating, and not use their position to advocate personal goals.

2. I don't object to the conference per se. I just find it about 99.9% likely that nothing will come of it. So it's really nothing more than an academic exercise. It won't have any practical impact. I tend to want to focus my efforts on things that can actually positively impact our world.

But I realize academia has the freedom to engage in many activities that have no real world application.

[Larkspur]

7. Hope some big Reichwing donor to the school does not nix this conference

I'm all for this conference.