On July 14, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing about the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). Paul B. Stephan, Coordinating Reporter for ALI’s Foreign Relations Project and Reporter for the Jurisdiction section of the Foreign Relations Project, participated as a witness. ALI members Jimmy Gurule of Notre Dame Law School and Michael B. Mukasey of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP also participated as witnesses at the proceeding.
In a statement released by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee Chairman Trent Franks prior to the hearing:
Under current U.S. law, legal barriers stand in the way of terrorism victims’ access to justice against those, including foreign governments, who aid and abet foreign terrorist organizations. JASTA attempts to address these barriers to justice to ensure that those who provide material support to those who would do us harm are held fully accountable for the roles they play in facilitating terrorist attacks.
While JASTA was passed unanimously by the Senate, the legislation has not had a formal hearing since 2010. The House Judiciary Committee believes that it should hear from all sides on the merits of the legislation before advancing it for consideration by the whole House of Representatives. We look forward to hearing from experts and members of the executive branch on the critical foreign policy issues at play with this legislation.
To watch the proceeding or read witness transcripts, click here.