The emergency decree also grants officials immunity from prosecution for actions taken under its provisions.The other commissions are even less promising.
Referring to the prosecution's actions, Mr. LaMarche, the defense lawyer, said: "Why they did the things they did, I don't know".
Most analysts say any tycoon would be vulnerable to prosecution for actions during the wild privatization of state assets in the 1990's.
Section 7 of the 1994 Intelligence Services Act protects MI6 officers from prosecution for actions anywhere in the world that would otherwise be illegal.
They said the court should dismiss the charge of conspiracy to commit murder because all foot soldiers are immune from prosecution of actions during combat.
There was no reference to section 7 of the 1994 Intelligence Services Act, sometimes described as the "James Bond clause", which protects MI6 officers from prosecution for actions anywhere in the world that would otherwise be illegal.
Section 7 of the 1994 Intelligence Services Act, sometimes described as the "James Bond clause", protects MI6 officers from prosecution for actions anywhere in the world that would otherwise be illegal.
Their secret memorandums cleared the way for aggressive policies — like waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques — all but ensuring that neither policy makers nor operatives could face criminal prosecution for actions blessed as legal.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 — Behind the debate between Congress and the White House over the proper treatment of terror suspects is an old fear at the Central Intelligence Agency: that officers could be vulnerable to lawsuits, or even criminal prosecution, for actions they believed at the time complied with administration policy.
Defense counsel notified the prosecution, and actions were immediately taken to protect the confidentiality of the filing.
