Lawyer

international
Military Commission Observation Project
Celebrates First Anniversary
The law school’s Program in International Human Rights Law (PIRHL) marked the first anniversary
of its Military Commission Observation Project (MCOP) during Spring 2015. Several
IU McKinney students, faculty, alumni and staff have taken advantage of the opportunity to witness
the proceedings at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and via video link at Fort Meade in Maryland.
Ruth Lilly Law Library Assistant Director of Information
Services Catherine Lemmer has visited Guantanamo
Bay twice as part of the project. Lemmer said
she felt like she was participating in and witnessing history
as the five September 11 defendants were brought
into the Guantanamo Bay courtroom.
Hattie Harman, ‘10, a staff attorney with the Indiana
Supreme Court, was in the project’s first group
of visitors, traveling to Fort Meade in April 2014.
She also traveled to Guantanamo Bay in November
2014. At Fort Meade, witnesses to the proceedings
can only see what the camera operator shows
them. It’s just the opposite in Cuba.
“It’s immersion at Guantanamo Bay,” Harman
said. “You’re there in it. It’s hard to observe it all.”
Always interested in the intersection of the law
and terrorism issues, Charles Dunlap, ‘96, executive
director of the Indiana Bar Foundation, also has
made the trips to Fort Meade and Guantanamo Bay.
“I believe in the vast majority of cases, using a traditional Article
3 Court to try the detainees would have been much more
efficient, lower cost, faster, and easier for everyone,” Dunlap said.
Because so much of the procedural portion of the commission
is being put together as it goes along, a lot of time is spent
arguing over every issue, Dunlap said. In addition, these are
death penalty cases, and defense attorneys are obligated to
explore any possible defense for their clients.
A website, www.GitmoObserver.com, and a blog, gitmoobserver.com/blog/
have been created to support the project. In
addition, the Guantanamo Bay Fair Trial Manual for U.S. Military
Commissions has been written since the project began. The
project is also on Twitter, and can be found @GitmoObserver.
“This website has been a significant development,” said
PIHRL director, Professor George Edwards. He had been
to Guantanamo Bay prior to the launch of the project, and
has witnessed proceedings from Fort Meade since it began.
“It has had thousands of visitors from all across the United
States and from many foreign countries.”
Those interested in taking part in the project can learn more
by visiting the law school’s website. ❖
(above) Assistant Director of Information Services Catherine Lemmer has
participated with the Military Commission Observation Project at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba. Professor George Edwards, right, established the project.
44 IU ROBERT H. McKINNEY SCHOOL OF LAW / Summer 2015 Alumni Magazine