Hirota v. MacArthur, 338 U.S. 197 (1948), was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, which held that "the courts of the United States have no power or authority to review, to affirm, set aside or annul the judgments and sentences imposed on these petitioners by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and for this reason the motions for leave to file petitions for writs of habeas corpus are denied".[1]

Hirota v. MacArthur
Argued December 16–17, 1948
Decided December 20, 1948
Full case nameKōki Hirota v. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, et al.
Citations338 U.S. 197 (more)
69 S. Ct. 197; 93 L. Ed. 1902
Holding
The courts of the United States have no power or authority to review, to affirm, set aside or annul the judgments and sentences imposed on these petitioners and for this reason the motions for leave to file petitions for writs of habeas corpus are denied.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Fred M. Vinson
Associate Justices
Hugo Black · Stanley F. Reed
Felix Frankfurter · William O. Douglas
Frank Murphy · Robert H. Jackson
Wiley B. Rutledge · Harold H. Burton
Case opinions
Per curiam
ConcurrenceDouglas
DissentMurphy
Rutledge took part in consideration of the case but reserved decision and died before announcing his vote. Jackson took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.

The appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was made following the death sentence against Kōki Hirota and six other Japanese leaders tried for war crimes.

Legacy

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In March 2008, the U.S. government cited Hirota v. MacArthur as "directly applicable" in Munaf v. Geren, 553 U.S. 674 (2008), in which it argued before the Supreme Court that U.S. federal courts lacked jurisdiction over two U.S. citizens being held by the military in Iraq and thus could not review their petitions for habeas corpus.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Snell, Willis B. (April 1951). "Habeas Corpus—Jurisdiction of Federal Courts to Review Jurisdiction of Military Tribunals When the Prisoner Is Physically Confined outside the United States". Michigan Law Review. 49 (6): 870–881. doi:10.2307/1284460. JSTOR 1284460.
  2. ^ Greenhouse, Linda (March 26, 2008). "Court Hears Arguments on Americans Held in Iraq". New York Times.

Further reading

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