More Than 100 Legal Scholars Warn About TPP Dangers
By Dave JohnsonMarch 2015--One hundred law professors sent an open letter to Congress and the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) saying they need to "protect the rule of law and the nation's sovereignty" in trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
While TPP is still secret, leaks and precedent indicate that it will
contain provisions allowing giant, multinational corporations to bypass
our country's legal system.
These provisions will allow these multinational corporations to sue governments, including ours, in "corporate courts" if they decide to pass laws and regulations that restrain the profits of these giant corporations, such as efforts to help citizens quit smoking.
The provisions in question are called investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) and let corporations take cases to a tribunal made up of corporate attorneys instead of civil courts.
These attorneys will then decide if countries have passed laws or imposed regulations, including health, environmental, labor, consumer and other protections that cause these companies to lose profits.
The law professors' letter asks Congress and the USTR to ensure that language is not included in proposed trade agreements like the TPP.
The letter concludes:
The letter was organized and released by the Alliance for Justice.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. These provisions will allow these multinational corporations to sue governments, including ours, in "corporate courts" if they decide to pass laws and regulations that restrain the profits of these giant corporations, such as efforts to help citizens quit smoking.
The provisions in question are called investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) and let corporations take cases to a tribunal made up of corporate attorneys instead of civil courts.
These attorneys will then decide if countries have passed laws or imposed regulations, including health, environmental, labor, consumer and other protections that cause these companies to lose profits.
The law professors' letter asks Congress and the USTR to ensure that language is not included in proposed trade agreements like the TPP.
The letter concludes:
ISDS threatens domestic sovereignty by empowering foreign corporations to bypass domestic court systems and privately enforce terms of a trade agreement.
It weakens the rule of law by removing the procedural protections of the justice system and using an unaccountable, unreviewable system of adjudication.The scholars' statement is available online here and the letter itself is also available.
The letter was organized and released by the Alliance for Justice.
It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
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This is downright frightening, especially in a one-political party system like we're experiencing in this country right now. We don't have checks and balances at the moment. Only the President's VETO PEN. Let's hope it isn't filled with disappearing ink!
posted by Dot Calm @ 8:56 PM
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