Pakistan Empowers Military Courts to Try Militants

After dozens of schoolkids were killed by the Taliban, Pakistan has changed its constitution to allow military courts to try militants, the New York Times reports: "Among analysts and legal experts, the military courts have raised a slew of worries about the erosion of fundamental rights, the sidelining of the civilian judiciary and the prospect of soldiers’ wielding untrammeled power in a country with a long history of military takeovers." The courts, however, had wide support, even among opponents to military rule.  "Legal, political and militancy experts warn that these courts are not a panacea for terrorism, and that Pakistanis may be making a grave mistake in treating the rule of law as a negotiable commodity," especially considering the support for militancy in Pakistani society.