The Case Western Reserve University School of Law hosts Brigadier General Mark Martins, Chief Prosecutor for the United States 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.
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. Martins 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.
Much of the time will be reserved for questions; while trial counsel are precluded from discussing specifics of ongoing prosecutions, queries of the speaker on broader questions are encouraged The Chatham House Rule will be in effect to stimulate open discussion and the sharing of information. Participants will thus be free to use the information received, but should reveal neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker, nor that of any other participant.
This presentation and discussion will be of great interest to Ohio attorneys, especially prosecutors and defense counsel. The issues before the Military Commissions are relevant to their practice, especially in cases involving terrorism and organized crime.
Title:
A Conversation with Chief Prosecutor United States Military Commissions
When/Where:
September 24, 2013
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Moot Courtroom (A59)
Case Western Reserve University School of Law
11075 East Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44106-7148
Also Webcast
Speaker:
In September of 2011,
Brigadier General Martins became Chief Prosecutor of Military Commissions. Over the previous year, in Afghanistan, Martins was commander of the Rule of Law Field Force-Afghanistan and of the dual-hat NATO Rule of Law Field Support Mission. The prior year, also in Afghanistan, he had served as the first and Interim Commander of Joint Task Force 435 and then as its first Deputy Commander upon Senate Confirmation of Vice Admiral Robert Harward. In these roles, Brigadier General Martins led the effort to reform United States detention operations in Afghanistan and provided field support to Afghan and international civilian rule of law project teams in contested provinces of the country. Immediately prior to his deployment to Afghanistan, Brigadier General Martins co-led the interagency Detention Policy Task Force created by President Obama in January 2009.
Commissioned in the infantry after graduating first in order of merit from the United States Military Academy in 1983, Brigadier General Martins served as a platoon leader and staff officer in the 82d Airborne Division. He then became a judge advocate and has since served in a variety of legal and non-legal positions. These have included criminal trial counsel, operational lawyer, staff judge advocate, chief of staff, and commander. He has been deployed to zones of armed conflict for more than five years, including service as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Kosovo Force, Staff Judge Advocate for First Armored Division and then Multi-National Force—Iraq, and his recent duties with Rule of Law Field Support Teams across eight provinces and twenty-three key districts in Afghanistan.
By:
Frederick K. Cox International Law Center; Co-sponsored by
Institute for Global Security Law and Policy, Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Credit:
1-hour CLE credit pending approval
Cost:
Free and open to the public. Pre-registration required.
More:
http://law.cwru.edu/Lectures.aspx?lec_id=339
