International Law Supreme Court case

[iron81]

Chicago Tribune

Cliff's notes: Under a treaty ratified by the United States, the police are required to advise suspects of foreign nationality that they may meet with a representative of their home country's consulate. Mexico sued in the International Court of Justice to release 51 Mexican death row inmates on the grounds that this wasn't done. The ICJ ruled for Mexico and in a shocker, the Bush Administration ordered state courts to comply with the ruling. Texas wasn't happy about the Admin's order. The Supreme Court will hear the case this week and if the Administration wins, the 51 Mexican death row inmates may be released.

I had heard about legal challenges along these lines before, but I had no idea about the ICJ case or the Bush Admins order. I'm personally shocked that an Administration that goes to such great lengths to crap on treaties they don't like has decided to release convicted murderers. However, I'm thrilled about the prospect that the US might start taking the treaties we ratify seriously.

The Constitution specifies that ratified treaties are the "supreme law of the land", but the precent up to now was that this provision is generally not enforced. It would go a long way toward making this country a better place and pay dividends in foreign policy if we started taking treaties seriously.