Government accountability in the nineteenth century -- Bivens and government accountability in the twentieth century -- Human rights and War on Terror litigation -- Evaluating the effectiveness of Bivens litigation -- Evaluating justifications for judicial silence -- Congressional ratification of the bivens action -- Evaluating justifications for judicial silence -- Congressional ratification of the bivens action -- Applying Bivens to conduct overseas -- Overcoming qualified immunity -- Common law solutions to judge-made problems
Summary
'Constitutional Torts and the War on Terror' examines the judicial response to human rights claims arising from the Bush Administration's war on terror. Despite widespread agreement that the Administration's program of extraordinary rendition, prolonged detention, and 'enhanced' interrogation was torture by another name, not a single federal appellate court has confirmed an award of damages to the program's victims. The silence of the federal courts leaves victims without redress and the constitutional limits on government action undefined
