Rule of Law Makes A Rare Appearance

After a long eight years, at last a breath of fresh air. It appears the Constitution lives.

In a rebuke to the Bush Administration, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that foreign terrorism suspects being detained at Guantanamo Bay have the right to challenge their detention in our court system. Welcome back habeas corpus, how we have missed you.

In its third rebuke of the Bush administration's treatment of prisoners, the court ruled 5-4 that the government is violating the rights of prisoners being held indefinitely and without charges at the U.S. naval base in Cuba. The court's liberal justices were in the majority.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the court, said, "The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times."

Justices Breyer, Bader Ginsburg, Souter, Stevens and Kennedy formed the majority. Chief Justice Roberts, along with Justices Alito, Scalia and Thomas all dissented.