Legal News

New Yoo review spurs new protests, defenses

By Richard Binder

At the beginning of March, the government released several previously undisclosed memoranda by John Yoo, now infamous for the so-called "torture memos." The Justice Department will soon complete a review of his conduct. According to a Newsweek report, the department might allege that Mr. Yoo improperly colluded with the White House to craft justifications for dubious counterterrorist policies. The dean of Boalt Hall says that if the Justice Department's review includes serious allegations, the university might be justified in formally reviewing Mr. Yoo's extracurricular activities.

Yoo is presently a visiting professor at Chapman University, but his return to Berkeley is under scrutiny by critics and defenders alike.  Some feel Yoo's academic career should be jeopardized by claiming the executive branch had unfettered powers to defend the United States, and those powers could not be limited in any way by the Congress. Others believe that any punishment of Woo's activities in Washington could be a serious drawback to academic freedom.

Feelings are extremely mixed on the Berkeley campus.  Read details here.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on March 18, 2009 (boomark / email).