Supreme Court should not rely on foreign law, Gonzales says News
Supreme Court should not rely on foreign law, Gonzales says

[JURIST] US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales [official profile; JURIST news archive] said Tuesday that the use of foreign law in US Supreme Court opinions is "anti-democratic" and "unworkable." In a speech [text] given at George Mason University Law School, Gonzales argued that "Foreign judges and legislators are not accountable to the American people. If our courts rely on a foreign judge's opinion or a foreign legislature's enactment, then that foreign judge or legislature binds us on key constitutional issues." Gonzales acknowledged that as a "practical matter" it "may be impossible for even the most conscientious judge to avoid being arbitrarily selective in the use of foreign law." Earlier this year, in reaching its 5-4 decision to outlaw the death penalty for juvenile killers in Roper v. Simmons [opinion text; JURIST report], the Supreme Court cited foreign sentiment against capital punishment for juveniles. AP has more.

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38 Santee Sioux hanged by US for rebellion

On December 26, 1862, 38 Santee Sioux men were hanged in a mass execution for their roles in a rebellion against US authorities in Minnesota which left hundreds dead and made refugees of some 40,000 white settlers. Government annuities promised under a treaty with the Sioux had failed to arrive on schedule and credit for purchases was not advanced in the meantime, threatening the tribe with starvation. The Santee Sioux Tribe's members were deported first to South Dakota and ultimately to Nebraska, where they remain today. Learn more about the 1862 Minnesota Sioux Rebellion.

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