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Amicus Brief Raises Opposition To UN Convention

By Howard M. Friedman

Two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this term, Graham v. Florida and Sulivan v. Florida, appear to have become vehicles for those filing amicus briefs to duel over the U.N.'s Convention on the Rights of the Child which conservative Christian groups fear the U.S. Senate may ratify. They claim the Convention would infringe parental rights. (See prior posting.) An amicus brief filed by Amnesty International (joined by 14 other groups) in the two cases involving life sentences without parole imposed on juveniles urges the court to apply the prohibitions of the Convention as a matter of customary international law. Yesterday, according to a press release from Parentalrights.org, 16 members of the U.S. House filed an amicus brief arguing that the Convention is not binding on the United States. Previously some twenty religious groups representing various faith traditions filed an amicus brief arguing that imposing life imprisonment without parole on juvenile offenders contravenes fundamental religious values.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on September 30, 2009 (boomark / email).