Bill of Rights Defense Campaign

BILL OF RIGHTS Defense Committee - Working with communities to uphold the Bill of RightsWe the People
Working with communities to uphold the Bill of Rights
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What's new

Your community can do what the federal government won't

BORDC has developed two model ordinances for consideration by city councils across the country. These ordinances, which will have the force of law where enacted, allow individual municipalities to do what the federal government will not: protect the fundamental rights and liberties of law-abiding Americans to be free of arbitrary monitoring, surveillance, detention, search, or arrest by local law enforcement authorities; and bring to justice senior government officials complicit in torture. 

Disbar the torture lawyers: Sign on today

While the Attorney General contemplates a limited investigation scapegoating junior officials who violated "approved" torture techniques, BORDC and allies (including the National Lawyers Guild and Velvet Revolution) are pursuing ethics complaints against former senior officials licensed to practice law. Sign our letters in support of disbarment.


Current Civil Liberties Issues

Read our blog for more on the latest civil liberties issues.

OPR report exonerates torture lawyers

As expected, a a report by the Office of Professional Responsibility has exonerated Bush administration lawyers who authored memoranda authorizing torture, including John Yoo and Jay Bybee. Read more on our blog.

PATRIOT Act extended for one year

At the end of February, President Obama signed a one-year extension of PATRIOT Act provisions that were originally set to expire at the end of 2009. The extensions did not include any of the civil liberties or privacy protections negotiated in committee last fall. Read more on our blog.

Want to take action on these civil liberties issues? Find your legislators' contact information.


In the News:

3/17, Stephen Lendman, Dissident Voice, America’s Secret Prisons

3/16, Jeff Kaye, Fire Dog Lake, U.S. Revokes Visa of Irish Anti-Renditions Activist

3/16, Jeremy Pelofsky and James Vicini, Reuters, Holder defends criminal trials for 9/11 suspects

3/16, Los Angeles Times, An Obama secret: They're rejecting more Freedom of Information requests than those secretive Bush folks

3/16, Ray McGovern, Common Dreams, Yoo Besmirches Legacy of Jefferson

3/16, Glenn Greenwald, Salon, Obama threatens to veto greater intelligence oversight

More News >


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President Barack Obama

"I campaigned on the promise of change—change we can believe in, the slogan went.  And right now, I know there are many Americans who aren't sure if they still believe we can change....But remember this—I never suggested that change would be easy, or that I could do it alone."

President Barack Obama

David Cole
"BORDC is political organizing at its best. It gives ordinary people concrete ways to get involved in the struggle for justice in the wake of 9/11. It deserves our support."

Professor David Cole

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Watch BORDC's video on national security letters, FBI Unbound. Order it on DVD at our online store.

Shahid Buttar
Watch Shahid Buttar and Bruce Fein at a Disbar the Torture Lawyers press conference in June 2009.