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caseymoz

(5,763 posts)
Tue Aug 27, 2013, 05:42 PM Aug 2013

FISA Court has been secretly expanding surveillance

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/08/1222046/-Secret-court-broadens-NSA-s-powers-in-nbsp-secret

A few things about the FISA court that I didn't realize. First, the Judges are all chosen by SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts. All of them except one are Republicans.

Second, there's no confirmation, no oversight of these guys.

Third they're making Supreme Court-size decisions in secret, affecting all of us, that can't be appealed.

Fourth, often these decisions are not contested, it's unclear whether the people they concerned are even given the chance.

This goes against every principle of justice.
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FISA Court has been secretly expanding surveillance (Original Post) caseymoz Aug 2013 OP
They'd tell you what you want to know, but then they'd have to kill you, too. blkmusclmachine Aug 2013 #1
Star Chamber bemildred Aug 2013 #2

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
2. Star Chamber
Thu Aug 29, 2013, 02:13 PM
Aug 2013

The Star Chamber (Latin: Camera stellata) was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster from the late 15th century until 1641. It was made up of Privy Councillors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters. The court was set up to ensure the fair enforcement of laws against prominent people, those so powerful that ordinary courts would never convict them of their crimes. Court sessions were held in secret, with no indictments, and no witnesses. Evidence was presented in writing. Over time it evolved into a political weapon, a symbol of the misuse and abuse of power by the English monarchy and courts.

In modern usage, legal or administrative bodies with strict, arbitrary rulings and secretive proceedings are sometimes called, metaphorically or poetically, star chambers. This is a pejorative term and intended to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the proceedings. The inherent lack of objectivity of politically motivated charges has led to substantial reforms in English law in most jurisdictions since that time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Chamber

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