LSU Law Hosts Symposium on Presidential Power and Terrorism, November 9

Members of the LSU community gathered on November 9 to hear Law Center professors discuss the constitutionality of detention, interrogation techniques, and trial of terrorism suspects. The symposium was held in conjunction with Alumni Reunion Weekend at the Law Center.
 
The free symposium, titled Presidential Power and Terrorism: Detention, Interrogation and Trial, featured Law Professors John Baker, Ed Richards, and John Devlin. The trio discussed the legal issues posed by detention, interrogation, and trial of terrorist suspects and how these challenge our common understanding of the rule of law.
 
The terrorist attack on the United States on September 11, 2001 had profound consequences for the U.S. legal system, according to the presenters. After 9/11, these trends were suddenly reversed. Many young middle-Eastern men legally in the U.S. were seized and interrogated based on their religious status. Prisoners were captured in Iraq and Afghanistan in a conflict that did not fit the traditional definition of war recognized by the Genève Convention. The U.S. has been faced with issues regarding the legal and moral conditions for their confinement, interrogation, and trial.