Jurisdiction dispute stalls detainee suits

Sixteen lawsuits by Guantanamo Bay detainees were put on hold by a federal judge who said he may no longer have jurisdiction to hear their cases.

U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton said the new Military Commissions Act has left him unable to consider whether the detainees can challenge being held at the Navy facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

An appeals court in Washington is considering whether civilian jurists can rule on those cases. Until that issue is resolved, Walton said, “it is this court’s view that it lacks the authority to take any action in these cases.”

If the appeals panel “concludes that this court retains some degree of jurisdiction over any or all of the above-captioned cases, the matters will be automatically reopened as appropriate,” he said.