Opinion ID: 767955
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Individual Rights Were Created By The Vienna Convention and The Bilateral Treaty

Text: 66 Although our Nation is one in which the rule of law is cherished in action as well as principle, and the maxim pacta sunt servanda has flourished, most courts facing claims such as are before us have side-stepped the enforcement of the rights established under the Vienna Convention and Bilateral Treaty, even in the face of finding a violation of treaty obligations entered into by the United States. See Faulder v. Johnson, 81 F.3d 515, 520 (5th Cir. 1996) (Texas admits that the Vienna Convention was violated); Breard v. Netherland, 949 F. Supp. 1255, 1263 (E.D. Va. 1996) (Virginia's persistent refusal to abide by the Vienna Convention troubles the Court). This Court has unfortunately chosen to follow suit. 67 The ensuing colloquy took place before the panel originally hearing this appeal: 68 The Court: Does it [the Vienna Convention] require that the individual be notified immediately? 69 Government Counsel: Well, yes it does. There is no question that this treaty was violated in this instance and the United States is not saying that it wasn't violated. We are simply saying that no court has granted a defendant any kind of relief in the absence of a showing of prejudice. 70 Oral Argument of April 6, 1999. Government counsel's frankness in admitting the obvious is commendable, although more recently the Justice Department seems to have retrogressed from this position, and, as is apparent from the majority opinion, the concessions made at oral argument are for naught. 1 71 At least part of the majority's confusion stems from its basic misconception as to the nature of the rules that are before the Court. We are no longer merely considering international agreements to be administered or enforced at the discretion of the State Department, in which its interpretation as to applicability is entitled to special expertise or deference. Cf. United States v. Stuart, 489 U.S. 353, 369 (1989) ([T]he meaning attributed to treaty provisions by the Government agencies charged with their negotiation and enforcement is entitled to great weight). As will be further elucidated, once ratified by the Senate, both the Vienna Convention and the Bilateral Treaty became the municipal law of the United States pursuant to the Supremacy Clause, 2 and its provisions enforceable in the courts of the United States at the behest of affected individuals without the need for additional legislative action. 72