Jack Bauer and the Rule of Law: The Case of Extraordinary Rendition

This Essay examines the Bush Administration's use of a tactic in the “War on Terror” called “extraordinary rendition.” The term extraordinary rendition refers to the process by which alleged terrorists are captured by the U.S. Government, transferred to another country, interrogated, and possibly tortured--all without judicial involvement--so the U.S. Government may attempt to uncover possible terrorist activity. Extraordinary rendition thus differs from ordinary forms of rendition, since the latter refers broadly to any circumstance where a government takes or transfers custody of a person by means of procedures outside those of extradition treaties.