In this seminar, a panel of experts including Kate Eastman, Geoffrey Garrett and Katie Wood, reflected upon steps recently taken in the US Congress to amend the Military Commissions Act 2006 and prepare for the January 2010 deadline imposed by the Obama administration for closure of Guantanamo Bay. What exactly is likely to change as a result of this process? What parts of the Bush administration's legacy on counter-terrorism are likely to remain intact? What ramifications has the Obama administration's policy redirection had so far for Australia? What impact might the Obama administration yet have in influencing the course of global policy-making on counter-terrorism and the treatment of detainees? More specifically, what could be the effect of US legislative change on the life and legal status of David Hicks, an Australian citizen who continues to live under conditions imposed as a consequence of his conviction under the Military Commissions Act? These, among other questions, were discussed by the panel.
Co-sponsored by the Sydney Centre for International Law (SCIL) and Amnesty International Australia