Bar Association Criticizes Conduct of Justice Department

By Scott Horton

In a letter to Alberto Gonzales, one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious bar associations has sharply criticized the Justice Department’s efforts to block communications between Guantánamo lawyers and their clients through the introduction of a new protective order. In an accompanying press release, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, whose membership includes both prosecutors and defense lawyers, stated that it was:

concerned that “Guantanamo has developed into a symbol of abuse, mistreatment, and injustice in the eyes of the entire world. The practices tolerated there have done incalculable damage to the reputation of the United States as an advocate of justice and the rule of law. That this proposal could be prepared and issued with the authority of the Department of Justice points to a failure in judgment within that once highly respected institution.”

Read the full text of the letter (PDF).