Academic in torture row won't hear refugee cases

Ever since Bush and Rumsfeld allowed a retrograde leap of about 200 years by putting torture on America's "to do" list, we have said that they have put it on the whole world's agenda. So we keep an eye on it.

Well, it's showing up in the strangest places, but for once, people's protest has scored a victory:

Australia: "A Victorian academic who has been criticised for supporting legalised torture will not work for the Refugee Review Tribunal when he returns from leave later this year.

"The head of the Deakin Law School, Mirko Bagaric, has co-authored a paper suggesting torture is justified in emergency situations like terrorist attacks.

"He is also on the Refugee Review Tribunal and the Greens say his comments are inappropriate for someone in that position.

"The Federal Government has confirmed Professor Bagaric is currently on leave from the refugee body and will not serve on it when he returns.
Source

We'll continue to keep a watching brief on torture, Messrs Bush and Rumsfeld.