Lawyers for Guantanamo detainees argue against new attorney-client rules

08/18/12: The Blog of Legal Times reports lawyers for detainees at Guantánamo Bay argued Friday at the US District Court for the District of Columbia against a new set of Department of Justice guidelines that would govern attorney-client relationships.  The Government has asked attorneys for detainees who no longer have cases pending to sign a “memorandum of understanding” that would change some of those rules and give greater discretion to the commander of Joint Task Force-Guantanamo.  Chief Judge Royce Lamberth pressed DOJ lawyer James Gilligan about why the change was needed and why it wouldn’t violate previous holdings that detainees had a right to counsel to access the courts.  Judge Lamberth said he was “puzzled” by the move, given that lawyers on both sides hadn't run into problems with the protective orders so far.