U.S. Supreme Court Rules on Consular Rights of Foreigners Arrested in the U.S.

On June 28, 2006, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the remedies of a foreign arrestee in the United States for violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Convention are limited. In particular, the majority opinion, written by Chief Justice Roberts, held that the Convention does not require states that violate the accord to permit belated appeals to suppress confessions. By a six to three vote, the court ruled that the U.S. agreed to extraordinary remedies with the 1969 ratification of the Vienna Convention. The Convention requires its 170 signatories to provided arrested citizens access to consular officials, if requested, and to inform detainees of their treaty rights “without delay.”