United States of America
Practice Relating to Rule 100. Fair Trial Guarantees
Section N. Non bis in idem
The US Field Manual (1956) reproduces Article 86 of the 1949 Geneva Convention III.
The manual also uses the same wording as Article 117 of the 1949 Geneva Convention IV.
The US Air Force Pamphlet (1976) provides: “Article 86 [of the 1949 Geneva Convention III] prohibits punishing POWs [prisoners of war] more than once for the same offence (
non bis in idem).”
The US Military Commissions Act (2006), passed by Congress following the Supreme Court’s decision in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld in 2006, amends Title 10 of the United States Code as follows:
“§ 948b. Military commissions generally
“(a) PURPOSE.—This chapter establishes procedures governing the use of military commissions to try alien unlawful enemy combatants engaged in hostilities against the United States for violations of the law of war and other offenses triable by military commission.
“ …
“§ 949h. Former jeopardy
“(a) IN GENERAL.—No person may, without his consent, be tried by a military commission under this chapter a second time for the same offense.
“(b) SCOPE OF TRIAL.—No proceeding in which the accused has been found guilty by military commission under this chapter upon any charge or specification is a trial in the sense of this section until the finding of guilty has become final after review of the case has been fully completed.
The US Military Commissions Act (2009) amends Chapter 47A of Title 10 of the United States Code as follows:
“§ 949h. Former jeopardy
“(a) IN GENERAL.—No person may, without the person’s consent, be tried by a military commission under this chapter a second time for the same offense.
“(b) SCOPE OF TRIAL.—No proceeding in which the accused has been found guilty by military commission under this chapter upon any charge or specification is a trial in the sense of this section until the finding of guilty has become final after review of the case has been fully completed.