Court: Bush Torture Memo Author John Yoo Protected From Lawsuits

[struggle4progress]

5. In every civilized nation, persons enjoy the right not to be tortured -- and that is

not merely a conditional right but an absolute right. A number of persons (including Mr Yoo) combined in an elaborate conspiracy, over an extended period of time, to deprive various individuals (including Mr Padilla) of the right not to be tortured and of other such rights; the victims suffered materially in consequence; and under any coherent civil justice theory, the victims would have a right to seek redress.

Your misrepresentations notwithstanding, the action discussed here is civil, not criminal -- and it is certainly not predicated upon anyone's "disagreement" with Yoo: it can be based on the simple theory that Yoo advised others to engage in conduct that every competent practitioner knew was illegal under binding law