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Senate judiciary committee chair asks Bybee to testify on interrogation memos

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Chairman of the US Senate Judiciary Committee Patrick Leahy (D-VT) on Wednesday invited former head of the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) and federal judge Jay Bybee, who signed off on memos detailing the legal rationale for enhanced interrogation techniques, to testify before the committee. Leahy wants Bybee to explain apparently contradictory statements in which Bybee expressed regret for signing the memos and then defended his actions. Leahy wrote:By coming forward to testify, you will be able to explain your position with regard to these matters, including your involvement and your knowledge regarding how these memos were written and approved, what considerations went into that process, who was consulted in that process and the roles of various individuals.Bybee has not yet commented on Leahy's invitation. As former head of the OLC, Bybee signed off on a recently released memo authorizing the use of enhanced interrogation techniques. Leahy called for Bybee's resignation from the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit after the memo was released. Bybee also signed off on a previously released controversial memo that defined torture as physical pain equivalent in "intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily functions, or even death." Earlier this week, Leahy reiterated his calls for a non-partisan truth commission to investigate Bush administration officials responsible for authorizing certain interrogation techniques during an interview with CBS. Leahy initially called for the creation of a truth commission in February and then again during a Judiciary Committee hearing in March.VOTE FOR JURIST JURIST is nominated for a 2009 Webby Award as best Law website. Please vote for us here!

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on April 30, 2009 (boomark / email).