Guantanamo trials deemed illegal.

[Hog]

Haha, pawned.

Military trials would breach US law and the Geneva Convention, ruled the Supreme Court

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United States President George Bush's proposed military trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees are illegal, the Supreme Court has said in a landmark ruling.

In what is seen as a major blow for the administration, the justices decided the President had overstepped his authority in ordering the military war crimes tribunals for terror suspects held at the US camp in Cuba.

The trials would be against US law and international Geneva Conventions, they said in a ruling voted for by five of the nine judges.

The court's decision to uphold the challenge by Osama Bin Laden's ex-driver, Salim Ahmed Hamdan, against his trial at the detention centre in Cuba, raises major questions about the legal status of around 450 men still being held there.

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It prompted immediate calls for the US authorities to swiftly release prisoners or allow fair trials for all the detainees, who include eight British residents.

Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said: "This ruling should now lead to the US administration ending the scandal of holding Guantanamo prisoners in defiance of international human rights law.

"The Guantanamo Bay prison camp should be closed and all detainees allowed fair trials or [be] released to safe countries.''

But Mr Bush, who has previously said he would like to close the camp, suggested he would seek the approval of Congress to proceed with military tribunals.

Mr Bush told reporters: "To the extent that there is latitude to work with the Congress to determine whether or not the military tribunals will be an avenue in which to give people their day in court, we will do so.

"The American people need to know that the ruling, as I understand it, won't cause killers to be put out on the street.''

He added: "I would like for there to be a way to return people from Guantanamo to their home countries but some of the people need to be tried in our courts.''